Optical properties of metallic nanostructured films and solids

该研究计划将全面研究金属纳米颗粒和纳米结构的光学特性，为各种应用中的创新设备设计提供独特的特性，包括光通信，光存储，传感和非线性效应。例如，设计具有小于光波长的结构元件的高度集成的光学器件的可能性，可以提供用于引导和操纵光的手段，这是一个非常令人兴奋的前景，促使一些研究人员将其视为纳米技术中的“下一件大事”。对由小金属颗粒或表面等离子体材料组成的材料的重新兴趣（表面等离子体激元的激发-电子的集体振荡-在金属粒子中是可能的）主要源于我们现在能够制造精确的纳米粒子和纳米壳的事实。（由金属壳覆盖的电介质颗粒）及其周期性规则阵列，可以表现出光子晶体特性（光的选择性全透射或反射）适合于特定的应用。这种可能性要求严格的研究纳米粒子（或纳米壳）的性质，往往是非常不同的散装性能和密集的理论模型的颗粒阵列性能。新的方法都为实验程序，包括纳米粒子和纳米结构的制造，和理论建模提出了一个显着的贡献，这一新的和非常重要的战略研究领域。特别是，在光学波导和传感的潜在应用将被探索。这项工作将与NRC研究所合作进行，该研究所可以为纳米结构的制造提供最先进的纳米压印光刻技术。一些研究生将在我们的研究计划的各个方面进行培训。

The research program proposed will study in a comprehensive way the optical properties of metallic nanoparticles and nanostructures that offer unique properties for the design of innovative devices in a variety of applications that include optical communication, optical storing, sensing and non-linear effects. The possibility of designing for example a highly integrated optical device with structural elements smaller than the light wavelength that can offer a means for guiding and manipulating light is a very exciting prospect, prompting some researchers to consider this as the "next big thing" in nanotechnology. The renewed interest in materials consisting of small metallic particles or surface-plasmon materials (excitation of surface plasmons- collective oscillations of electrons-is possible in metallic particles) derives principally from the fact that we are now able to fabricate with precision nanoparticles and nanoshells (dielectric particles covered by a metallic shell) and their periodic regular arrays that can exhibit photonic crystal properties (selective total transmission or reflection of light) tailored to a specific application. Such a possibility calls for a rigorous study of nanoparticle (or nanoshell) properties that are often very different from bulk properties and intensive theoretical modeling of particle array properties. New approaches both for experimental procedures, including fabrication of nanoparticles and nanostructures, and theoretical modeling are proposed in view of a significant contribution to this new and very important strategic field of research. In particular, potential applications in optical waveguiding and in sensing will be explored. The work will be conducted in collaboration with a NRC institute which can offer a most advanced NanoImprint Lithography technology for the fabrication of nanostructures. Several graduate students will be trained in diverse aspects of our research program.