Collaborative Research: Novel 3D Nanocomposites for Optical and Solar Applications: A First Principles Approach to Cost-Effective Design, Nanomanufacturing and Characterization.

这一多学科活动的研究目标是设计、制造和表征由多个金属在电介质中组成的纳米复合材料。该方法将利用理论和实验来设计和发现新型光学纳米材料。光学理论将被用来理解金属纳米粒子中等离子体对光的优越吸收。将使用流体力学理论和第一原理计算机模拟来指导基于知识的方法来设计由介质中特定浓度和类型的金属组成的功能纳米复合材料。由此产生的三维纳米复合材料结构将通过利用薄膜沉积与基于激光的图案形成相结合来制造。这些纳米材料将以结构和光学技术为特征，以测试和验证设计和制造过程。这一综合研究活动的好处将是促进用于光学、等离子和纳米光子学应用的具有成本效益的纳米材料制造的科学和技术。具有对纳米结构-光学性质关联的理论和实践理解的自组织图案的创新使用将使交叉工程和基础科学方法成为可能，从而实现多功能纳米复合材料。这些纳米复合材料将被用作光伏能量收集的宽带太阳能吸收涂层，用作长度低于光学衍射极限的光波导材料，以及用于集成硅光子学。这项研究将在光学、流体力学、材料科学和纳米技术等跨学科科学和工程领域的本科生和研究生的培训和教育方面产生更广泛的影响。这将导致一支高技能的专业人员队伍，他们将确保美利坚合众国在未来技术方面的领导作用。

The research objective of this multidisciplinary activity is to design, make and characterize nanocomposites consisting of multiple metals in a dielectric. The approach will be to use theory and experiments to design and discover novel optical nanomaterials. Optical theory will be utilized to understand the superior absorption of light by plasmons in metal nanoparticles. Hydrodynamic theory and first principles computer simulations will be used guide a knowledge-based approach to the designof functional nanocomposites consisting of specific concentrations and types of metals in dielectrics. The resulting three dimensional nanocomposite structures will be manufactured by utilizing thin filmdeposition in conjunction with laser based pattern formation. These nanomaterials will be characterized by structural and optical techniques in order to test and verify the design as well as manufacturingprocesses.The benefit of this integrated research activity will be towards advancing the science and technology of cost-effective manufacturing of nanomaterials for applications in optics, plasmonics and nanophotonics. The innovative use of self-organized patterns with a theoretical and practical understanding of nanostructure-optical property correlation will enable cross-cutting engineering and basic science approaches to enable multi-functional nanocomposites. These nanocomposites will find use as broadband solar absorbing coatings for energy harvesting in photovoltaics, as materials for light waveguiding in length scales below the optical diffraction limit, and in integrated Si photonics. The broader impact from this research will be in the training and education of undergraduate and graduate students in interdisciplinary science and engineering areas of optics, hydrodynamics, materials science and nanotechnology. This will lead to a workforce of highly skilled professionals who will ensure the leadership role of the United States of America in technologies of the future.