CAREER: Integrated Research and Education on Hot Carrier Effects in Plasmonics

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Abstract This CAREER award is jointly funded by the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices Program (EPMD) in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) and by the Electronic and Photonic Materials Program (EPM) in the Division of Materials Research (DMR).NonTechnical: Nearly all modern technology, from cell phones and cameras to medical sensors, involves the interaction of light with electronic circuitry in order to perform specific functions. When light is absorbed in such a device, it can create electrons with more energy than needed to execute the desired function, so-called hot-electrons, which generally dissipate this energy as heat, resulting in power loss and device inefficiency. The first goal of this project is to advance the understanding of these hot-electrons, which will enable devices with unprecedented functionality and performance that can be applied to problems of global importance, e.g. solar energy generation, wireless communication, etc. The second goal of this project is to integrate the research into education by creating a suite of online learning tools for widespread dissemination of ideas and techniques in alternative energy. In conjunction with these online resources, this program will provide educational support to a wide range of audiences including the general community through public outreach and the mentoring of graduate, undergraduate and high school students.Technical: Ohmic loss is one of the major hindrances to high efficiency plasmonic devices due to energy dissipation of excited charge carriers within the metal. A similar effect, known as thermalization, also limits photovoltaic efficiency in solar energy devices. It is thus important to understand and mitigate these various loss mechanisms in next-generation optoelectronic devices. Through this program the PI will investigate the optoelectronic properties of fabricated structures capable of generating and extracting these carriers before heat dissipation occurs. These studies will encompass light absorption, carrier generation and collection, as well as material and surface interface engineering to modify energy barrier heights, leading to a new understanding of how hot electronic processes work in plasmonic nanostructures. This knowledge will be applied to a novel class of plasmonic devices based on hot carriers, which enable simultaneous control of optical and electronic properties.