Realization of Integrated High-Throughput Real-Time Nano-Imager based on Nanophotodetector Array and Negative Dielectric Superlens

高分辨率实时纳米成像仪的实现。美国西北大学何胜中（Seng-Tiong Ho）学术成就：纳米技术对小于光学衍射极限的材料或物体进行成像非常感兴趣。基于近场扫描光学显微镜（NSOM）的现有方法已经得到广泛的应用。然而，NSOM具有各种限制，例如其金属涂覆的光纤尖端的非常低的光功率吞吐量（10-3至10-6）以及其对非常慢的机械扫描的依赖。所提出的工作旨在开发新技术，通过设计一种高速纳米像素光电探测器阵列，能够实现新型纳米成像器件，该阵列可以单独使用，也可以与由负介电常数材料制成的集成超聚焦透镜一起使用。纳米成像仪将能够实时成像和高光通量，而无需机械扫描。这些工作将有助于形成未来纳米光电探测器和成像器的技术基础，并将在纳米技术、介观物理学、分子化学、工程学、材料科学、生物技术和许多其他领域有广泛的应用。这些作品还将产生纳米器件设计，材料科学，纳米材料模拟，以及对新材料或器件的新物理理解，并将对科学和技术产生潜在的广泛影响，远远超出这里提出的项目。因此，高通量实时纳米成像仪的实现将有利于美国。的竞争力，在纳米技术领域具有潜在的重大经济影响。PI是NSF NCLT-西北大学纳米科学与工程国家学习和教学中心的成员。纳米成像仪也将被用作一个有趣的教学工具，可以结合教学生与纳米成像相关的新物理。学生还可以学习使用纳米成像仪观察移动的纳米物体。通过NCLT基于网络的教学，在研究中学到的知识将被广泛传播，使全国下一代科学家和工程师受益。

Realization of High-Throughput Real-Time Nano-Imager0622185Dr. Seng-Tiong Ho, Northwestern UniversityIntellectual Merit: Imaging materials or objects at smaller than the optical diffraction limit is of great interest to nano technologies. Current approach based on Near-field Scanning Optical Microscope (NSOM) has found wide usages. NSOM, however, has various limitations such as the very low light power throughput (10-3 to 10-6) of its metal-coated fiber tip and its reliance on very slow mechanical scanning. The proposed works aimed to develop new technology that will enable the realization of novel nano-imaging devices by engineering a high-speed nano-pixel photodetector array that can be used by itself or with an integrated super-focusing lens made up of negative dielectric constant material. The nano-imager will be capable of real-time imaging and high light throughput without mechanical scanning. These works will help to form the technological foundation for future nano-photodetectors and imagers, and will have broad applications to nano-technologies, meso-scopic physics, molecular chemistry, engineering, materials science, biotechnologies, and many other areas.Broader Impacts: The works will also generate new knowledge in nano-device design, materials science, nano-materials simulation, and new physical understanding of the novel materials or devices, and will have potentially broad impacts on science and technology much beyond the project proposed here. Thus, the realization of the high-throughput real-time nano-imager will benefit U.S.'s competitiveness in the nanotechnology areas with potentially significant economic impacts. The PI is a member in the NSF NCLT-National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. The nano-imager will also be used as an interesting teaching tool that can be incorporated to teach the students the new physics associated with nano-imaging. The students can also learn to use the nano-imager to observe moving nano-objects. Through the NCLT Web based teaching, the knowledge learned in the research will be disseminated widely to benefit the next-generation of scientists and engineers nationally.