NER: Electrically Pumped Organic Solid-State Surface Plasmon Amplifier

本研究的目的是开发一种新的，基于有机的电泵浦等离子体放大器，利用表面等离子体激元和激发分子的强耦合，观察只有在纳米级的距离。这种方法是用纳米级的金属图案来建立共振等离子体腔。这些空腔将作为两个器件的基础，使电信号和等离子体激元域之间的信号转换成为可能。拟议工作的知识价值包括：1）表征电泵浦分子激发与纳米结构金属膜中的引导表面等离子体的耦合，2）展示用于高质量平面内等离子体共振器的纳米图案化环结构，3）在这些等离子体共振器中实现增益，研究利用表面等离子体增益实现等离子体电泵浦受激发射的可能性。这项工作的更广泛的影响将是实现电泵浦等离子体放大器或电控等离子体源。这可能会使一种全新类型的集成电路，可以帮助扩展摩尔定律超越当前集成电路技术的限制。对电激发分子在谐振腔中的衰减机制进行剪裁，有助于实现有机激光器和分子电子学的一般领域。PI将通过最近与绿色山高中建立的项目，让研究生、本科生和高中生参与他们的研究，鼓励女性和代表性不足的少数族裔参与。过去参与该计划已经证明了K-12教师和学生的高度兴趣。

The objective of this research is to develop a novel, organic-based electrically pumped plasmonic amplifier, utilizing the strong coupling of surface plasmons and excited molecules observed only at nanoscale distances. The approach is to build resonant plasmon cavities with nanoscale metallic patterns. The cavities will serve as a basis for two devices that enable the conversion of signals between the electrical and plasmonic domains. The intellectual merit of the proposed work consists of: 1) characterizing the coupling of electrically pumped molecular excitations to guided surface plasmons in nanostructured metal films, 2) demonstrating nanopatterned ring structures for high-quality in-plane plasmon resonators, 3) achieving gain in these plasmon resonators, and 4) investigating the potential of utilizing surface plasmon gain to achieve electrically-pumped stimulated emission of plasmons. The broader impact of this work will be the realization of either an electrically-pumped plasmon amplifier or an electrically-controlled plasmon source. These may enable a radically new type of integrated circuit that can help extend Moores law beyond the limitations of current integrated circuit technology. Tailoring the decay mechanisms of electrically excited molecules in resonant cavities can contribute to the realization of organic lasers and the general field of molecular electronics. The PIs will involve graduate students as well as undergraduate students and high school students in their research though a recently established program with Green Hills High School, encouraging female and underrepresented minority participation. Past participation in this program has demonstrated high levels of interest among K-12 teachers and students.