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（包括光通信、光存储、传感和非线性效应）的创新器件的设计提供独特的特性。例如，设计一种结构元件小于光波长的高度集成光学器件的可能性，可以提供一种引导和操纵光的方法，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的“下一件大事”。对由小金属粒子或表面等离子体材料（表面等离子体的激发-电子的集体振荡-在金属粒子中是可能的）组成的材料的新兴趣主要源于这样一个事实，即我们现在能够制造精密的纳米粒子和纳米壳（金属壳覆盖的介电粒子）及其周期性规则阵列，它们可以表现出光子晶体特性（选择性全透射或反射）轻)为特定应用量身定制。这种可能性需要对纳米粒子（或纳米壳）特性进行严格的研究，这些特性通常与颗粒阵列特性非常不同，并需要对粒子阵列特性进行深入的理论建模。鉴于对这一新的、非常重要的战略研究领域的重大贡献，提出了实验程序（包括纳米颗粒和纳米结构的制造）和理论建模的新方法。特别是在光波导和传感方面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。几名研究生将在我们的研究项目的各个方面接受培训。

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.