Directional Superradiant Light Emission from Epsilon-Near-Zero Plasmonic Nanochannels

非技术描述：该项目促进了对纳米材料和光之间的相互作用如何被操纵的理解，从而导致具有独特属性和功能的光学材料。研究小组利用实验和计算方法来帮助实现新的材料和结构，使受控的光发射能够用于下一代节能电子产品，如纳米级激光，以及先进的光学通信和传感技术。该项目支持本科生和研究生参与研究，以此作为鼓励在纳米光子学方面追求高级学习和研究事业的一种手段。该团队扩大了这项研究的影响，向初中生、高中生和本科生介绍量子科学和电磁学的概念。后者包括孟菲斯大学物理日期间专注于光子学的活动，以及内布拉斯加州材料和纳米科学中心的本科生研究体验计划。此外，研究人员利用他们的研究成果实现了一个在线教学资源，包括一系列主题，涉及用于本科和研究生教学的电磁材料。技术描述：纳米制造技术的最新进展使纳米材料能够集成到尺寸远小于衍射极限的等离子体纳米腔中，为在纳米尺度上进行光学研究和控制光与物质的相互作用铺平了道路。目前的研究策略通常需要在纳米腔局域热点上精确定位量子发射体，以受益于增加的光子态密度。在这个项目中，研究小组使用实验和计算方法来推进关于嵌入在独特的epsilon-近零等离子体纳米通道中的一组量子发射器的定向、超辐射相干光发射的基础知识。在epsilon-近零纳米沟道中限制的同相等离子体激元场提供了一条克服局域热点依赖的途径，并允许发射体在长距离内进行相干和协作辐射。该团队通过研究等离子体介子近零物质中的狄克超辐射、珀塞尔效应和Förster共振能量转移，阐明了相干光发射的基本特性。通过这样做，该团队填补了基础物理学理解方面的空白，允许创造具有独特性质和功能的新纳米结构。这一新知识有望带来新型的芯片上光学元件和相干光源，用于纳米光子应用、量子信息处理和传感。

Nontechnical description: This project advances understanding about how interactions between nanoscale materials and light can be manipulated, leading to optical materials with unique properties and functionalities. The research team utilizes experimental and computational approaches to help realize new materials and structures that enable controlled light emission for use in next generation energy efficient electronics, such as nanoscale lasers, as well as advanced optical communications and sensing technologies. The project supports undergraduate and graduate student involvement in research as a means of encouraging pursuit of advanced study and research careers in nanophotonics. The team extends the impact of this research to introduce concepts in quantum science and electromagnetism to middle school, high school and undergraduate students. The latter include activities focused on photonics during Physics Days at the University of Memphis, and the Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs at the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience. Further, the investigators leverage their research findings to implement an online teaching resource encompassing a broad range of topics addressing electromagnetic materials for use in undergraduate and graduate teaching.Technical description: Recent advances in nanofabrication techniques have enabled the integration of nanomaterials into plasmonic nanocavities with sizes much smaller than the diffraction limit, paving the way for optical studies and control of light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. Current research strategies typically require accurate positioning of quantum emitters at nanocavity-localized hotspots, to benefit from increased photonic density of states. In this project, the research team employs both experimental and computational approaches to advance fundamental knowledge of the directional, superradiant coherent light emission from a collection of quantum emitters embedded in unique epsilon-near-zero plasmonic nanochannels. The in-phase plasmonic field confined in an epsilon-near-zero nanochannel provides a path to overcome the localized hotspot dependence and allows emitters to radiate coherently and collaboratively over long distances. The team elucidates fundamental properties of coherent light emission by addressing Dicke superradiance, the Purcell effect and Förster resonance energy transfer in a plasmonic epsilon-near-zero material. In so doing, the team fills gaps in foundational physics understanding, allowing the creation of new nanostructures with unique properties and functionalities. This new knowledge is expected to lead to novel on-chip optical components and coherent light sources for nanophotonic applications, quantum information processing and sensing.