Excellence in Research: Tunable hybrid photonic materials at strong coherent coupling

当光与具有纳米级特征的材料相互作用时，会发生有趣的现象。例如，蝴蝶翅膀上鲜艳的颜色来自于纳米级的光子结构。新兴的纳米光子学领域将这种光-物质相互作用应用于诸如产生清洁电力和提高化学反应效率等应用中。在这个项目中，研究人员将设计和制造基于光学活性分子和纳米尺度环境之间相干耦合的可调谐杂化纳米结构。研究人员将结合最先进的实验和模型，在精确设计和控制的纳米尺度环境中探索与光-物质相互作用相关的复杂现象。其目的是实现对光-物质相互作用的精确控制，从而实现新技术。这个合作项目将在两所hbcu，诺福克州立大学和杰克逊州立大学进行。广泛的教育组成部分将通过合作、学生交换和联合指导来加强两所学校的STEM研究生和本科课程。调查人员将让来自代表性不足的少数民族的学生参与前沿研究，从而丰富他们的教育。在金属表面和纳米结构中被激发的表面等离子体激元与分子群强耦合的光相互作用产生了许多现象，这些现象会导致纳米级光学响应的剧烈变化。这个合作研究项目包括：(i)混合光子材料光学特性的实验研究和建模，这些混合光子材料涉及光学活性分子的大集合，其光学特性是由它们与系统金属成分中激发的等离子体激元的强耦合决定的；（ii）开发具有潜在应用于光技术的混合光子材料的新设计；（三）通过结合研究和教育工作，包括联合研讨会、学生联合指导和学生交换等，显著扩大参与的少数民族院校（JSU和NSU）的研究能力。实验研究将在NSU实验室进行，而建模将在JSU进行。在拟议的研究过程中获得的结果将通过出版物、简报和专利传播。该项目由四个不同的任务组成，在有机光伏、光电纳米电路和信号处理方面具有潜在的应用前景。预计在三年的时间里，将有近12名研究生和本科生直接或间接地受到该项目的影响。该项目计划的研究、教育和推广活动之间的协同作用将对参与院校的少数族裔学生产生深远影响，并为hbcu在前沿研究领域开展富有成效的合作提供一个范例。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NontechnicalInteresting phenomena happen when light interacts with materials with nanoscale features. For example, the brilliant colors of butterfly wings arise from nanoscale photonic structures. The emerging field of nanophotonics puts such light-matter interaction to use in applications such as generating clean electrical power and improving the efficiency of chemical reactions. In this project, investigators will design and fabricate tunable hybrid nanostructures based on coherent coupling between optically active molecules and the nanoscale environment. Investigators will combine state-of-art experiment and modeling to explore the complex phenomena associated with light-matter interactions in precisely designed and controlled nanoscale environments. The aim is to achieve precise control of light-matter interactions and thereby enable novel technologies. This collaborative project will be carried out at two HBCUs, Norfolk State University and Jackson State University. The extensive educational component will strengthen the graduate and undergraduate programs in STEM at both institutions via collaboration, student exchange and co-advising. Investigators will involve students from underrepresented minorities in cutting-edge research and thereby enrich their education.TechnicalInteraction of light with the ensembles of molecules that are strongly coupled to surface plasmons excited in metal surfaces and nanostructures gives rise to a host of phenomena which can cause dramatic changes in the optical response at the nanoscale. This collaborative research project involves (i) Experimental studies and modeling of optical properties of hybrid photonic materials involving large ensembles of optically active molecules whose optical properties are defined by their strong coupling to the plasmons excited in the system’s metallic components, (ii) Developing novel designs for hybrid photonic materials with potential applications in light technologies; and (iii) Significantly expanding the research capacity at the participating minority institutions (JSU and NSU) by combining research and educational efforts, including joint seminars, student co-advising, and student exchange. The experimental studies will be performed at NSU Labs while the modeling will be carried out at JSU. The results obtained in the course of proposed research will be disseminated via publications, presentations and patents. The proposed project consists of four distinct tasks which have potential applications in organic photovoltaics, opto-electronic nanocircuitry and signal processing. It is expected that nearly a dozen graduate and undergraduate students will be impacted by the program, directly or indirectly, over a three-year span of the project. The synergy between the research, education and outreach activities planned in this project could profoundly impact the minority students at participating institutions and provide an example of a fruitful collaboration between HBCUs in cutting-edge research.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.