Excellence in Research: Tunable hybrid photonic materials at strong coherent coupling

Nontechnical Interesting phenomena happen when light interacts with materials with nanoscale features. For example, the brilliant colors of butterfly wings arise from nanoscale photonic structures. The emerging field of nanophotonics puts such light-matter interaction to use in applications such as generating clean electrical power and improving the efficiency of chemical reactions. In this project, investigators will design and fabricate tunable hybrid nanostructures based on coherent coupling between optically active molecules and the nanoscale environment. Investigators will combine state-of-art experiment and modeling to explore the complex phenomena associated with light-matter interactions in precisely designed and controlled nanoscale environments. The aim is to achieve precise control of light-matter interactions and thereby enable novel technologies. This collaborative project will be carried out at two HBCUs, Norfolk State University and Jackson State University. The extensive educational component will strengthen the graduate and undergraduate programs in STEM at both institutions via collaboration, student exchange and co-advising. Investigators will involve students from underrepresented minorities in cutting-edge research and thereby enrich their education. Technical Interaction of light with the ensembles of molecules that are strongly coupled to surface plasmons excited in metal surfaces and nanostructures gives rise to a host of phenomena which can cause dramatic changes in the optical response at the nanoscale. This collaborative research project involves (i) Experimental studies and modeling of optical properties of hybrid photonic materials involving large ensembles of optically active molecules whose optical properties are defined by their strong coupling to the plasmons excited in the system’s metallic components, (ii) Developing novel designs for hybrid photonic materials with potential applications in light technologies; and (iii) Significantly expanding the research capacity at the participating minority institutions (JSU and NSU) by combining research and educational efforts, including joint seminars, student co-advising, and student exchange. The experimental studies will be performed at NSU Labs while the modeling will be carried out at JSU. The results obtained in the course of proposed research will be disseminated via publications, presentations and patents. The proposed project consists of four distinct tasks which have potential applications in organic photovoltaics, opto-electronic nanocircuitry and signal processing. It is expected that nearly a dozen graduate and undergraduate students will be impacted by the program, directly or indirectly, over a three-year span of the project. The synergy between the research, education and outreach activities planned in this project could profoundly impact the minority students at participating institutions and provide an example of a fruitful collaboration between HBCUs in cutting-edge research. 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.