Biophotonics: Towards Nondestructive Optical Analysis of Nanostructures Using Photonic Nanojets

Backman0522639该提案寻求实验证明和表征光子纳米喷射。纳米射流是通过微球或微柱的局部场增强产生的，并且极大地增强了位于其范围内的小纳米颗粒的后向散射。研究人员进行的严格的FDTD计算表明，纳米射流中背散射纳米颗粒的强度和角分布高度依赖于颗粒尺寸。纳米喷射的独特特征在于它们既不衍射也不消逝。研究人员建议使用纳米喷射作为纳米壳的新分选方法，以获得均匀的尺寸分布，从而在成像应用中获得更好的光谱选择性。纳米喷射分选细胞内大分子的应用也提出了。

Backman0522639This proposal seeks to experimentally demonstrate and characterize photonic nanojets. Nanojets are created through the local field enhancement of micro-spheres or micro-cylinders and greatly enhance the backscattering of small nanoparticles that are located within their extent. Rigorous FDTD calculations by the investigators have shown that the intensity and angular distribution of backscattered nanoparticles in the nanojets are highly dependent upon the particle size. A unique feature of the nanojets lies in the fact that they are neither diffracting nor evanescent. The investigators propose to use the nanojets as a new sorting method for nanoshells in order to obtain a uniform size distribution to obtain better spectral selectivity in imaging applications. Applications of the nanojets to sorting intracellular macromolecules are also proposed.