Plasmon-Exciton Energy Transfer in Metal Nanocavities

技术说明：本项目从实验和理论上研究了金属纳米颗粒和激光染料分子在光激发下的能量转移机制。在这些情况下，金属激发（等离子体激元）可以与分子激发（激子）相互作用，以产生具有足够密度（增益）的激子群体，以表现出激光。纳米颗粒阵列和孤立的纳米颗粒都是这些研究的兴趣所在，因为它们都定义了光学腔，可以使光局部化以提高增益并降低激光发射的阈值。正在研究金属结构附近分子发射体的位置和取向的影响，以确定哪些光学腔在微观和纳米级优化布居数反转以及在宏观级优化激光阈值。理论模型正在开发耦合电动力学计算的速率过程，管理激子电子物理模拟实验。这项工作建立在一个既定的实验理论跟踪记录理解光物质相互作用的纳米等离子体系统的范围。它扩展了被动结构考虑以前的主动和混合等离子体激元架构的应用在激光，增强增益特性，和sensing.Non-technical Description：这项工作开发了一类新的激光器具有亚波长尺寸在至少一个维度，这将提供新的机会，使超小型光电器件。这种器件可以对高速光通信、高密度信息存储和纳米光刻产生直接和实质性的影响。与这项基础研究相结合的是一项初中/高中和本科课程开发计划，旨在将纳米纤维领域的前沿科学活动和操纵世界的光。所有的课程都可以在网上和通过材料世界模块网站。此外，一个关于出版实践和道德的外联方案旨在产生更好的科学论文，并最终产生更好的科学。

Technical Description: This project investigates, experimentally and theoretically, mechanisms of energy transfer between metal nanoparticles and laser dye molecules when both are photoexcited. Under these circumstances, metal excitations (plasmons) can interact with molecular excitations (excitons) to produce exciton populations with sufficient density (gain) to exhibit lasing. Both nanoparticle arrays and isolated nanoparticles are of interest in these studies, as both define optical cavities that can localize light to enhance gain and reduce the threshold for lasing. The effect of position and orientation of molecular emitters near the metal structures are being studied to determine which optical cavities optimize population inversion at the microscopic and nanoscopic levels and the lasing threshold at the macroscopic level. Theoretical models are being developed which couple electrodynamics calculations to the rate processes which govern exciton photophysics to simulate experiment. This work builds on an established experiment-theory track-record on understanding light-matter interactions in a range of nano-plasmonic systems. It extends passive structures considered previously to active and hybrid plasmonic architectures for applications in lasing, enhanced gain properties, and sensing.Non-technical Description: This work develops a new class of lasers having subwavelength dimensions in at least one dimension, which will provide new opportunities for making ultrasmall optoelectronic devices. Such devices can have a direct and substantial impact on high-speed optical communication, high-density information storage, and nanolithography. Coupled with this basic research is a program in middle/high school and undergraduate curriculum development aimed at bringing leading-edge scientific activities in nanofabrication and manipulating light in the nanoworld. All the curricula are available online and through the Materials World Modules site. Also, a program of outreach on publication practices and ethics is aimed at producing better scientific papers and ultimately better science.