NER: Nanophotonic Superpolariton Junctions: tunable photon-polariton transistors

智力优势：这项研究的智力价值包括通过将光导光纤插入锥形玻璃膜纳米孔中以形成纳米级光晶体管来开发活性纳米光子超极化激元结（NSJ）。 主动调整纤维和纳米孔之间的“软”介电材料的插入距离和介电常数，预计将增强NSJ尖端的场强和检测灵敏度35倍。 主动调整改善了能量从入射光到尖端振荡的表面电子（称为“极化激元”）的转移，而独特的NSJ几何结构减少了“极化激元”损失。 为支持这项研究，开发了一种有源替代品，以取代现有的无源光-极化激元晶体管，这些晶体管很难制备，并且场强增加了10倍。这项研究将教育三名研究生，包括两名代表性不足的女性，在积极的纳米结构，光子学和传感在一个高度协作的环境中，70名教师制造和分析纳米级器件，如微阵列和实验室，芯片上的 这项研究的社会影响包括让本科生在为全州社区大学和高中学生的课堂演示、夏季研讨会和实验室体验准备的实践教学模块中展示NSJs。 这些演示是由PI共同发起的为期5年的NSF（STEP）赞助的合作的一部分，该合作计划旨在提高参与率，提高保留率，并最终使STEM课程中代表性不足的少数民族的入学率增加一倍。 这项研究的经济影响来自NSJ应用，包括光子电路，高密度磁光数据存储，高灵敏度光谱纳米/生物/化学传感器和高分辨率近场光学显微镜。

Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of this study consists of developing active Nanophotonic Superpolariton Junctions (NSJ) by inserting light-guiding optical fibers into tapered glass-membrane nanopores to form nano-scale transistors of light. Actively adjusting the insertion distance and the permittivity of a 'soft' dieletric material between the fiber and nanopore is expected to enhance field intensity and detection sensitivity at the NSJ tip 35-fold. Active adjustments improve transfer of energy from incoming light to oscillating, surface electrons (called 'polaritons') at the tip while the unique NSJ geometry reduces 'polariton' losses. Supporting this study develops an active alternative to existing passive light-to-polariton transistors that are difficult to prepare and produce 10-fold increases in field intensity.Broader Impacts: This study will educate three graduate students, including two underrepresented females, in active nanostructures, photonics and sensing within a highly collaborative environment of 70 faculty who fabricate and analyze nano-scale devices like microarrays and lab-on-chips. The social impact of this study includes having undergraduates demonstrate NSJs in hands-on instructional modules prepared for class demonstrations, summer workshops and lab experiences for community college and high school students across the state. These demonstrations are part of a 5-year NSF (STEP)-sponsored collaboration co-initiated by the PI that plans to increase participation, improve retention, and ultimately double enrollment of underrepresented minorities in STEM courses. The economic impact of this study arises from NSJ applications that include photonic circuits, high-density magneto-optic data storage, highly-sensitive spectroscopic nano/bio/chemical sensors and high-resolution near-field optical microscopy.