EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: QUANTUM NANOPHOTONICS WITH PERIODIC CARBON NANOTUBE ARRAYS

该奖项支持理论和计算研究和教育，以促进对原子、分子、量子点和其他纳米结构的光谱如何受到与衬底相互作用的影响的理解。PI将专注于一个衬底，该衬底由一系列紧密排列的纳米级碳圆柱体组成，直径为纳米级，长度约为一厘米。这些碳纳米管类似于纳米尺度上卷曲的“铁丝网”，顶点是碳原子。通过调整碳纳米管结构，可以控制衬底的电子特性，因此也可以控制附近分子或量子点的特性，包括光学特性，包括它们如何发光。PI将使用基于量子力学、固体物理和光学的理论方法，结合计算机模拟来定性和定量地了解该系统如何用于分子传感、控制化学反应、作为分子和纳米结构的电磁和光学特性的敏感探针、可调光源和其他可能的应用。本项目旨在为这些紧密排列的周期性排列的碳纳米管阵列-超薄多功能超表面-一种新的柔性先进光子超材料平台的实验开发提供理论认识和实践指导，该平台具有近场特性可通过纳米管直径，手性和周期性变化进行需求调节。该奖项支持培训新一代科学家和工程师，他们能够利用纳米材料带来的新技术机会，更好地了解我们周围的世界。这个理论和模拟项目将有助于塑造北卡罗来纳中央大学数学和物理系的研究生课程，这是美国第一所由国家支持的非裔美国人公立文理学院。该系提供的相关研究生课程将被修订和加强，以包括部分受研究启发的低维碳纳米材料方面。高级研究生将有机会参与前沿研究，参加研究专题讨论会，出席研讨会，并撰写硕士论文。让学生更多地接触这个令人兴奋和迅速发展的纳米技术领域，将导致代表性不足的少数民族学生更多地参与科学事业和科学领域的研究生学习。因此，该项目将有助于扩大下一代科学家、研究人员和工程师的多样性，并直接满足国家在科学、技术、工程和数学领域的需求。该奖项支持理论和计算研究和教育，以推进对平面紧密排列的周期性排列碳纳米管阵列中近场相互作用和量子过程的基本理论理解。等离子体增强光谱检测、分子传感和控制的内在机制将使用理论固体物理、量子电动力学和量子光学的严格方法，结合计算机建模和模拟进行研究。碳纳米管已经成功地集成到小型化的电子、机电和化学设备、扫描探针和纳米复合材料中，提供了非凡的稳定性、灵活性和精确的物理特性可调性。紧密排列周期性排列的碳纳米管阵列的最新进展为利用这些高度各向异性的超薄超材料结构开发新的材料功能提供了新的机遇和挑战。由于碳纳米管阵列的周期性形成等离子体带，因此平面紧密排列的周期性碳纳米管阵列在近场表现为ε -近零等离子体超表面，而在远场表现为强光吸收体和偏振体。阵列的空间各向异性和周期性的平面内横向不均匀性使得其附近的电磁场各向异性和非局域性，既增加了设计具有理想电磁性能的阵列的灵活性，又增加了理论发展的挑战。近场产生的等离子体激元可以增强弱电子和/或振动分子跃迁，从而增强平面纳米管阵列附近分子的低能吸收、散射和化学反应性特征。本项目将重点研究在周期性碳纳米管阵列附近的空间各向异性、周期性非均匀、耗散磁介质环境下，外源发射体耦合近场电磁吸收和远场反射/散射的量子理论发展。过程截面将以通用形式导出，既适合实验解释，也适合实验发展的实际指导，以揭示平面周期性碳纳米管阵列作为一种新的柔性先进光子超材料平台的新功能，其近场特性可通过纳米管直径、手性和阵列周期性来根据需要调整。这一理论成果的具体实际应用包括：(a)用于单原子/离子/分子检测、捕获和操作的高效表面增强拉曼散射衬底开发；(b)纳米管阵列超表面附近原子型发射体对自发发射、吸收和散射的精确控制；(c)靠近周期碳纳米管阵列的分子化学反应性和特殊的卡西米尔-波德力的近场控制。该奖项支持培训新一代科学家和工程师，他们能够利用纳米材料带来的新技术机会，更好地了解我们周围的世界。这个理论和模拟项目将有助于塑造北卡罗来纳中央大学数学和物理系的研究生课程，这是美国第一所由国家支持的非裔美国人公立文理学院。该系提供的相关研究生课程将被修订和加强，以包括部分受研究启发的低维碳纳米材料方面。高级研究生将有机会参与前沿研究，参加研究专题讨论会，出席研讨会，并撰写硕士论文。让学生更多地接触这个令人兴奋和迅速发展的纳米技术领域，将导致代表性不足的少数民族学生更多地参与科学事业和科学领域的研究生学习。因此，该项目将有助于扩大下一代科学家、研究人员和工程师的多样性，并直接满足国家在科学、技术、工程和数学领域的需求。该奖项是根据HBCU卓越研究项目下的传统黑人学院和大学本科项目（HBCU- up）提出的建议颁发的。人力资源开发局人力资源开发司HBCU-UP项目资金和数理科学局材料研究司资金。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical and computational research and education to advance understanding of how the spectrum of light from atoms, molecules, quantum dots, and other nanostructures is affected by interaction with a substrate. The PI will focus on a substrate that is made of an array of closely packed nanoscale cylinders of carbon with diameters on the scale of nanometers and up to about a centimeter in length. These carbon nanotubes resemble rolled "chicken wire" on the nanoscale with carbon atoms at the vertices. By adjusting the carbon nanotube structure, the electronic properties of the substrate can be controlled and so the properties, including the optical properties, of the nearby molecule or quantum dot, including how they emit light, can also be controlled. The PI will use a theoretical approach based on quantum mechanics, solid state physics, and optics combined with computer simulations to understand qualitatively and quantitatively how this system may be used for molecular sensing, controlling chemical reactions, as a sensitive probe of the electromagnetic and optical properties of molecules and nanostructures, tunable light sources, and other possible applications. This project is aimed to provide theoretical understanding of capabilities and practical guidance for the experimental development of these closely packed periodically aligned carbon nanotube arrays - ultrathin multifunctional metasurfaces - a new flexible advanced photonic metamaterial platform with the near-field characteristics adjustable on demand by means of the nanotube diameter, chirality and periodicity variation. This award supports training a new generation of scientists and engineers capable of harnessing the opportunities presented by nanomaterials for new technologies and to better understand the world around us. This theory and simulation project will help to shape the graduate curriculum of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at North Carolina Central University, the nation's first state-supported public liberal arts college for African Americans. Relevant graduate courses offered by the Department will be revised and enhanced to include aspects of low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials inspired in part by the research. Advanced graduate students will have opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research, attend research symposia, present seminars, and develop Master's theses. Increased exposure of students to this exciting and rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology will lead to increased participation of underrepresented minority students in scientific careers and in graduate studies in scientific fields. This project will thus contribute to broadening the diversity of the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers and to directly address national needs in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical and computational research and education to advance the fundamental theoretical understanding of near-field interactions and quantum processes in planar closely packed periodically aligned carbon nanotube arrays. Intrinsic mechanisms of plasmon enhanced spectroscopic detection, molecular sensing, and control will be studied using rigorous methods of theoretical solid-state physics, quantum electrodynamics and quantum optics, combined with computer modeling and simulations. Carbon nanotubes have been successfully integrated into miniaturized electronic, electromechanical, and chemical devices, scanning probes, and into nanocomposite materials, offering extraordinary stability, flexibility, and precise tunability of their physical properties. Recent progress in the fabrication of closely packed periodically aligned carbon nanotube arrays opens new opportunities and challenges to develop new material functionalities with these highly anisotropic ultrathin metamaterial structures. Plasmonic bands form because of the nanotube array periodicity, and so the planar closely packed periodic carbon nanotube arrays should behave as epsilon-near-zero plasmonic metasurfaces in the near field while remaining strong light absorbers and polarizers in the far field. The spatial anisotropy and the periodic in-plane transverse inhomogeneity of the array make the electromagnetic field in its vicinity anisotropic and nonlocal, adding both extra flexibility in designing the arrays with desired electromagnetic properties and extra challenges in developing the problem theoretically. Plasmon generated near fields can strengthen weak electronic and/or vibrational molecular transitions to enhance low-energy absorption, scattering and chemical reactivity features for molecules near the planar nanotube array. This project will be focusing on the quantum theory development for near-field electromagnetic absorption and far-field reflection/scattering by extrinsic emitters coupled to spatially anisotropic, periodically inhomogeneous, dissipative magneto-dielectric environment in close proximity to the periodic carbon nanotube array. Process cross-sections will be derived in universal forms suitable both for the experimental interpretation and for the practical guidance of the experimental development to uncover novel functionalities of the planar periodic carbon nanotube arrays as a new flexible advanced photonic metamaterial platform with near-field characteristics adjustable on demand by means of the nanotube diameter, chirality, and array periodicity. Particular practical applications of this theoretical effort include: (a) efficient Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering substrate development for single atom/ ion/molecule detection, trapping and manipulation; (b) precision control of spontaneous emission, absorption and scattering by atomic type emitters trapped near the planar nanotube array metasurfaces; (c) near-field control of molecular chemical reactivity and peculiar Casimir-Polder forces in close proximity to the periodic carbon nanotube arrays.This award supports training a new generation of scientists and engineers capable of harnessing the opportunities presented by nanomaterials for new technologies and to better understand the world around us. This theory and simulation project will help to shape the graduate curriculum of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at North Carolina Central University, the nation's first state-supported public liberal arts college for African Americans. Relevant graduate courses offered by the Department will be revised and enhanced to include aspects of low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials inspired in part by the research. Advanced graduate students will have opportunities to participate in the cutting-edge research, attend research symposia, present seminars, and develop Master's theses. Increased exposure of students to this exciting and rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology will lead to increased participation of underrepresented minority students in scientific careers and in graduate studies in scientific fields. This project will thus contribute to broadening the diversity of the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers and to directly address national needs in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.This award is made on a proposal to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) under the HBCU Excellence in Research track. Funds from the HBCU-UP program in the Division of Human Resource Development in the Human Resource Development Directorate and from the Division Materials Research in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.