Joint CMTH/EXSS seminar
Sub-10-nm Precision Patterning And Characterization Of Plasmonic Nanoantennas
The field of Nanoplasmonics focuses on the phenomenon of light interaction with metal structures that support resonances at optical frequencies. The collective oscillations of charges in these structures give rise to resonances and enhanced fields that depend strongly on the precise geometry, metal gap sizes, and surrounding dielectric media. Due to the significant dimensional dependence of nanoplasmonic structures down to the few-nanometer scale, highly precise nanofabrication capabilities are imperative. In this talk we will discuss some advances in nanofabrication processes involving electron-beam lithography [1], self-assembly [2], and chemical synthesis [3] to control features in these nanostructures that affect their interaction with light. Examples include the control of nanostructure sizes to produce color prints [4], gap sizes for strong localization of light [5], atomic-scale grain boundaries, and nanoscale contacts between metal nanostructures and a dielectric substrates as sources of damping.