Multi-Scale Active Nanostructures: Arrays of Anisotropic Holes and Particles

技术：该项目是对光学活性纳米级结构进行实验和计算研究，该结构由空穴和粒子组成，这些空穴和粒子被组织成具有不同规模的分级顺序的阵列。这项研究将材料、加工、制造和表征结合在一起，理论和建模相结合，重点研究纳米结构，包括穿孔的光滑薄膜和交替的金属和介电孔阵列的纳米材料。这些纳米结构材料可以用来聚焦和引导光，并在从紫外光到近红外光的波长上调节光信号。此外，还将研究磁偶极子共振的出现和巴比内原理的后果。非技术性：该项目解决了材料科学中具有高度技术相关性的热门领域的基础研究问题，并有望为使用有组织的纳米材料操纵光提供新的机会。它将在跨学科领域为研究生和本科生提供独特的培训。该项目的教育/宣传活动将主要集中于将研究活动纳入课堂，并在纳米科学和光子学领域为7-16年级编写内容。这些措施包括为本科实验室进一步开发扫描探针显微镜，以及为普通化学课程传播纳米光子学软件。此外，PIS将继续为西北大学NSF-纳米级学习与教学中心的教师教育和专业发展做出贡献。

Technical: This project is to conduct experimental and computational studies of optically active nanoscale structures, consisting of holes and particles, which are organized into arrays with hierarchical order of various scales. The research bridges materials, processing, fabrication, and characterization with a blend of theory and modeling, focusing on nanostructures including smooth thin films that are perforated with nanoholes and nanoscale materials of alternating metallic and dielectric hole arrays. These nanostructured materials can be used to focus and steer light and to tune light signals over wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. In addition, the appearance of magnetic dipole resonances and the consequences of Babinet's principle will be investigated.Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance, and is expected to provide new opportunities for manipulating light using organized nanoscale materials. It will provide unique training of graduate and undergraduate in an interdisciplinary field. The education/outreach activities of this project will concentrate primarily on the integration of research activities into the classroom and the development of content for grades 7-16 in the areas of nanoscale science and photonics. They include further development of scanning probe microscopy for undergraduate laboratories and dissemination of nanophotonics software for general chemistry courses. In addition, the PIs will continue contributing to the education and professional development of teachers in the NSF-Nanoscale Center for Learning and Teaching at Northwestern University.