Collaborative Research: Plasmonically-Induced Phase-Correlated Ultralong Transport of Excitation Energy in Viral Quantum Dot Circuits

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An inspiring feature of certain photosynthetic organisms is their ability to transfer energy from one protein to another with significant efficiency and range. It has been shown that such a remarkable light harvesting process is deeply rooted in quantum mechanical processes at physiological temperatures. Imitating such processes to generate efficient and ultra-long range of flow of energy along specific paths in systems consisting of biologically assembled nanostructures is a transformative frontier of research with many technological impacts. This requires uncharted capabilities to control the energy transfer routes in real space with very low amount of loss. This project is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort between research groups with expertise in nanophotonics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and virus nanotechnology at the University of Oklahoma. The team will develop transformative concepts and physical/biological processes that allow transfer of excitation energy in viral energy circuits over ultra-long distances that are relevant to nanodevices and their integration. The biologically-inspired energy circuits will consist of a nanowire, formed via a genetically modifiable protein landscape (phage) and semiconductor nanocrystals, and two designated nanocrystals that act as light harvesting and receiver antennas. The team will develop a novel material platform that can dramatically change the normal properties of such nanocrystals, allowing the viral nanowires to transport energy over long distances by closely imitating photosynthesis process. This includes energy transfer between domains of nanocrystals correlated with each other via their interaction with metallic nanostructures. This project offers a new path towards application of biology for building devices with nanoscale dimension. It will also create new opportunities for the design of efficient bio-inorganic hybrid systems for light emitting devices, detectors, and sensors. This interdisciplinary project will integrate physical and biological education by implementing a strong teaching and mentoring component, and will introduce the essence of nanotechnology and nanoscience to high school students. Technical The overall goal of this project is to develop transformative concepts and physical/biological processes for energy-transporting materials that will involve bio-inorganic composite structures and biologically-inspired collective properties. These processes allow transfer of excitation energy in viral energy circuits over ultra-long distances that are relevant to nanodevices and their integration (100 nm or more). Quantum dot nanowires formed via genetically engineered non-toxic virus will be used as energy channels. These quantum dot-coated viral nanowires will be biologically conjugated to a light harvesting antenna (Up-Conversion Nanoparticles) in one end and quantum dot receivers at the other end, forming biologically-templated energy circuits. The team will develop a novel landscape of material structure called metal oxide plasmonic metasubstrate (MOPM) to generate the transformative processes needed to allow the light energy absorbed by the light harvesting nanoantennas to be transported to the QD receivers along QD nanowires with low energy loss. MOPMs will be formed via the creative composition of metallic nanoantenna arrays, dielectric materials, and metal oxides. Immobilizing the biologically-templated energy circuits to MOPM leads to (i) formation of domains of phase-correlated dipole-dipole coupling between QDs across the viral nanowires, (ii) ultrahigh enhancement of their radiative decay (Purcell effect), and (iii) suppression of their defect environments. The transport of the energy across viral QD nanowires occurs via the transfer of excitation energy between the phase-correlated domains, rather than between individual QDs, and formation of inter-domain coupling using surface lattice resonances or plasmonic coupling. MOPM enhances QD-induced exciton-plasmon coupling significantly, aligning the dipoles of QDs in each domain while suppressing transfer of their energies to the metallic nanoantennas. These lead to ultralong range inter-domain energy transfer before radiative or non-radiative losses kick in.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.