NIRT: Nanoscale Metalic Photonic Crystals; Fabrication, Physical Properties, and Applications

这项提案是应“纳米科学与工程”(NSF 00-119)的征集而提交的。该项目的目标是纳米级金属光子晶体(NMPC)的制备、物理性质、理论和应用的研究。在这些结构中，金属周期性地嵌入到具有纳米尺寸周期的介质中。NMPC可以携带相当大的电流，但同时在可见光/红外范围内具有传输频带。一些NMPC也是磁性的，具有重要的集体自旋性质，而另一些NMPC可能是低温下具有非线性输运性质的超导体。计划制备二维和三维(2D和3D)NMPC结构，并研究它们的线性和非线性光学性质，以及它们的输运性质。苯类低缺陷分子单晶的表面(如菲、并五苯等)将被图案化成2D结构，其中来自蒸发金属电极的载流子注入将控制由此产生的器件的导电性、金属-绝缘体转变、等离子体频率和低温下的超导特性。理论工作将指导实验研究。该项目是物理、电气工程和材料科学的研究人员与霍尼韦尔公司的合作者之间的跨学科合作努力。该项目解决了材料科学、物理和电气工程等具有高度技术相关性的主题领域的基础研究问题。该计划的一个重要特点是通过在一个具有根本意义和技术意义的领域对学生进行培训，将研究和教育结合起来。在整个项目中广泛使用的制造、实验和理论物理方法和应用将增加研究生和本科生的教育机会。***

This proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 00-119). The goals of the project are the fabrication, study of physical properties, theory and applications of nanoscale metallic photonic crystals (NMPC). These are structures in which metals are periodically embedded into dielectrics with nanometer size periods. NMPC may carry substantial electrical current but at the same time have transmission bands in the visible/infrared ranges. Some NMPC are also magnetic with important collective spin properties, while others may be superconductors at low temperature with non-linear transport properties. It is planned to fabricate two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) NMPC structures, and study their linear and nonlinear optical properties, as well as their transport properties. The surface of low-defect molecular single crystals from the acenes family (such as anthracene, pentacene, etc.) will be patterned into 2D structures, where carrier injection from evaporated metal electrodes will control the resulting device conductivity, metal-insulator transition, plasma frequency and superconductivity properties at low temperature. Theoretical work will guide the experimental research studies. The project is an interdisciplinary collaborative effort among researchers in Physics, Electrical Engineering and Materials Science with collaborators from Honeywell Inc.%%% The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science, physics, and electrical engineering with high technological relevance. An important feature of the program is the integration of research and education through the training of students in a fundamentally and technologically significant area. The wide range of fabrication, experimental and theoretical physics methods and applications employed throughout the project will enhance the educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. ***