Exciton-plasmon states in nano-morphologically controlled semiconductor nanowires: From weak coupling to quantum entanglement

非技术描述：当光和物质之间发生强烈的相互作用时，就会出现新的现象（纠缠量子态），这在自然界中通常是观察不到的。这种量子纠缠可以潜在地用于量子信息技术，大大改善数据采集和处理。在这个项目中，研究小组使用被金属纳米粒子包围的半导体纳米线来研究光（以等离子体激子的形式）和半导体（以激子的形式）之间的相互作用。为了实现强耦合和量子纠缠，在透射电子显微镜下对该纳米结构的形貌进行了激光处理。利用光学方法和电子显微镜对光-物质耦合进行了研究，并建立了理论模型。该项目为设计新型量子材料开辟了新的前景，在量子信息和量子科学领域具有重要影响。该项目将研究生和本科生的教育和培训充分结合起来，重点从代表性不足的群体中招收学生。这种训练为学生从事广泛的职业做好了准备。对公众的推广包括对当地STEM项目的贡献，以及为高中生组织电子显微镜设施的实验室参观。技术描述：量子纠缠和强耦合是量子计算和量子传感的基础。作为研究这些量子效应的模型系统，研究小组使用了一个开腔半导体纳米线-金属纳米粒子系统，在这个系统中，激子和等离子体激元可以在弱耦合到强耦合的范围内相互作用。超快光谱学和电子能量损失光谱学独特地结合在一起，以高时间和高空间分辨率研究能量转移和多发射器纠缠。在透射电子显微镜内对这些等离子体纳米结构进行激光处理，可以在原子分辨率成像期间改变其形态，从而提供一个实现和控制量子纠缠的系统。本项目的中心任务是合成纳米形态控制的金属/有机/半导体纳米线，并研究激子和等离子体激元的耦合。纳米结构形态的改变和插入的有机调制器对该量子系统的耦合强度都有很大的影响。计算得到的介电响应函数将电子能量损耗谱测量得到的损耗函数与光学测量结果联系起来。互补的理论模型提供了对这些光-物质相互作用的基本理解。研究小组的研究为设计利用强耦合和多发射极纠缠的新型量子材料开辟了新的前景，在量子信息、化学和生物学领域具有重要影响。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。

Non-technical description:When a strong interaction between light and matter occurs, new phenomena (entangled quantum states) arise, which are generally not observed in nature. This quantum entanglement can potentially be harnessed for quantum information technologies with drastically improved data acquisition and processing. In this project, the research team uses semiconductor nanowires, which are surrounded by metal nanoparticles to investigate the interaction between light (in the form of plasmons) and semiconductor (in the form of excitons). To achieve strong coupling and quantum entanglement, the morphology of this nanostructure is modified by laser processing inside a transmission electron microscope. The light-matter coupling is investigated with optical methods and electron microscopy along with theoretical modelling. This project opens new prospects for designing novel quantum materials with significant impact in the areas of quantum information and quantum science. The project fully integrates education and training of graduate and undergraduate students with an emphasis on recruitment from underrepresented groups. The training prepares the students for a wide range of careers. Outreach to the public includes contributions to local STEM programs and organized lab-tours of the electron microscopy facilities for high-school students. Technical description:Entanglement and strong coupling are the basis for quantum computing and quantum sensing. As a model system to study these quantum effects the research team is using an open cavity semiconductor nanowire-metal nanoparticle system in which excitons and plasmons can interact in regimes ranging from weak to strong coupling. Ultrafast optical spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy are uniquely combined to study the energy transfer and many-emitter entanglement with high temporal and high spatial resolution. Laser processing of these plasmonic nanostructures inside the transmission electron microscope allows modifications of the morphology during atomic resolution imaging providing a system to achieve and to control quantum entanglement. The central thrusts in this project are to synthesize nano-morphologically controlled metal/organic/semiconductor nanowires and to study the coupling of excitons and plasmons. Both the change in the nanostructure morphology and the inserted organic modulator critically modify the coupling strength in this quantum system. The calculated dielectric response function connects the loss function obtained from the electron energy-loss spectroscopy measurements with the optical measurements. Complementary theoretical modelling provides a fundamental understanding of these light-matter interactions. The investigations of the research team open new prospects for designing novel quantum materials to exploit strong coupling and many-emitter entanglement with significant impact in the areas of quantum –information, -chemistry and -biology.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.