Partnership for Research and Education in Materials: Partnership for Photonic Metamaterials

来自诺福克州立大学（NSU）材料研究中心（CMR）、康奈尔材料研究中心（CCMR）以及普渡大学的Birck纳米技术中心（BNC）和计算纳米技术网络（NCN）的研究人员团队建立了光子超材料合作伙伴关系。 该伙伴关系的主任是米哈伊尔·A。Noginov（NSU）. 中心研究主题是（i）电介质中的光学增益和其他光学响应以及（ii）金属颗粒和聚集体中的表面等离子体激元（SP）的相互增强。 通过电介质中的光学增益补偿金属中的损耗将在低损耗负折射率材料（NIM）的应用中进一步发展。 SPs对有效吸收截面和受激发射截面的增强将扩展到激光器的研究中，其中活性介质被金属颗粒和聚集体修饰。 SPs增强的非线性光学现象的研究将包括双光子吸收和非线性磁光效应。 超材料电动力学的理论建模和金属-电介质界面新的物理和化学状态的从头算研究将支持和指导所有的实验工作。 该伙伴关系的教育计划的目标是建立一个管道，从吸引高中学生从代表性不足的少数群体到科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学科（特别是材料科学），并完成与准备的博士候选人在学术界，工业界和政府的材料科学的职业生涯。 拟议的努力涉及教材的开发，课堂作业，研究培训和指导将在很大程度上依赖于合作伙伴关系内的交流计划。

The team of investigators from the Center for Materials Research (CMR) at Norfolk State University (NSU), the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR), as well as the Birck Nanotechnology Center (BNC) and Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) at Purdue University establish the Partnership for Photonic Metamaterials. The Director of the Partnership is Mikhail A. Noginov (NSU). The central research theme is mutual enhancement of (i) optical gain and other optical responses in dielectric media and (ii) surface plasmons (SPs) in metallic particles and aggregates. Compensation of loss in metal by optical gain in dielectric will be further developed in application to low-loss in metal by optical gain in dielectric will be further developed in application to low-loss Negative Index Materials (NIMs). An enhancement of effective absorption and stimulated emission cross sections by SPs will be extended to the studies of lasers, in which active media are modified by metallic particles and aggregates. The studies of nonlinear optical phenomena enhanced by SPs will include two-photon absorption and nonlinear magneto-optics. Theoretical modeling of electrodynamics of metamaterials and ab initio studies of new physical and chemical states of metal-dielectric interfaces will support and guide all experimental efforts. The goal of the education program of the Partnership is to establish a pipeline starting from attracting high school students from the underrepresented minority groups to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines (especially Materials Science), and finishing with preparation of the PhD candidates for careers in Materials Science in academia, industry, and government. The proposed effort involving development of educational materials, class-work, research training, and mentoring will heavily rely on the exchange programs within the Partnership.