Time-resolved nanoscale detection of complex amplitude in the near field of functional nanophotonic devices

0304573 Fainman纳米科学和技术在信息系统的未来技术发展中发挥着越来越重要的作用，包括计算、通信、显示、照明、高分辨率成像和传感。 光学和光子技术被认为是大多数这些应用的推动者。然而，工程纳米结构光学材料，共振纳米结构，如光子晶体，和集成的纳米光子有源和无源器件和系统的建设是最具挑战性的任务之一。很明显，纳米光子技术的进一步发展将依赖于我们开发（i）有效的设计和建模工具，（ii）先进的纳米纤维技术，以及（iii）可视化和成像工具（用于结构和功能测试）的能力。 这些挑战需要在一个综合方案中进行研究，以便对计算预测和实验验证进行评估和比较。本研究的目的是通过理论研究和实验验证，对各种纳米光子器件在工作波长下的纳米尺度和飞秒时间分辨率的近场复振幅进行基础研究。 拟议的研究将集中在（i）近场光学显微镜的建设，允许测量的振幅和相位的光学近场与飞秒分辨率;（ii）实验研究的光场及其本地化的纳米光子器件，和（iii）近场的研究在光学纳米结构在非线性制度的操作。拟议的研究将调查近场相互作用的人工纳米结构材料，它提供了各种功能的光学系统集成有用的。此外，近场光学器件促进了小型化，同时增强了多功能性，大大增加了光子系统每单位体积的功能复杂性。由于近场材料的光学性质由几何形状控制，因此在组成材料的选择方面具有灵活性，从而便于使用兼容材料实现各种各样的器件，以便于制造和集成。拟议的研究将显着影响先进的纳米光子器件和系统利用纳米级架构的发展。因此，拟议的研究不仅将支持近场光学物理和工程领域，而且还将通过提供基本的表征技术来帮助纳米电子学，纳米磁学，纳米力学，化学和生物学的发展。 研究和培训研究生和本科生在纳米技术的新领域将对社会产生重大影响，因为它将彻底改变生命科学，先进的信息科学和国家安全至关重要的许多技术。

0304573FainmanNanoscale science and technology are playing an increasingly important role in development of future technologies for information systems including computing, communications, display, lighting, high-resolution imaging, and sensing. Optical and photonic technologies are recognized as enablers in most of these applications. However, construction of engineered nanostructured optical materials, resonant nanostructures such as photonic crystals, and integrated nanophotonic active and passive devices and systems is one of the most challenging tasks. It is evident that further advances in nanophotonic technology will rely on our ability to develop (i) efficient design and modeling tools, (ii) advanced nanofabrication techniques, and (iii) visualization and imaging tools (for both structural and functional tests). These challenges need to be investigated in an integrated program enabling evaluation and comparison of the calculated predictions and the experimental verifications. The objective of this proposal is to conduct basic research by investigating theoretically and verifying experimentally the complex amplitude of the near-field on the nanoscale and with femtosecond time resolution for various nanophotonic devices at operation wavelength. The proposed research will focus on (i) construction of a near-field optical microscope allowing measurement of the amplitude and phase of optical near-fields with femtosecond resolution; (ii) experimental investigation of the optical field and its localization in nanophotonic devices, and (iii) study of near-fields in optical nanostructures operating in a nonlinear regime. The proposed research will investigate near-field interactions in artificial nanostructured materials, which provide a variety of functionalities useful for optical systems integration. Furthermore, near-field optical devices facilitate miniaturization and simultaneously enhance multifunctionality, greatly increasing the functional complexity per unit volume of the photonic system. Since the optical properties of near-field materials are controlled by the geometry, there is flexibility in the choice of constituent materials, facilitating the implementation of a wide range of devices using compatible materials for ease of fabrication and integration. The proposed research will significantly impact the development of advanced nanophotonic devices and systems utilizing nanoscale architectures. Thereby, the proposed research will not only bolster the area of near-field optical physics and engineering, but will also extend to aid in the development of nanoelectronics, nanomagnetics, nanomechanics, chemistry, and biology by providing a fundamental characterization technology. Research and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the new field of nanotechnology will have a significant impact on the society as it will revolutionize numerous technologies of critical importance for life science, advanced information sciences, and national security.