CAREER: Coherences and Nonlinear Interactions in Molecular Infrared Polaritons

职业：分子红外极化子的相干性和非线性相互作用

• 批准号: 1848215
• 负责人: Wei Xiong
• 金额: $ 52.69万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-06-01 至 2025-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1848215&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Coherences; Nonlinear; Interactions; Molecular

Nontechnical Description: Interactions between material at the molecular scale and light can produce a new type of material particle called a polariton. Polaritons have unique properties that make them useful in a broad array of societally relevant applications, including medicine, chemical sensing, and homeland security, to name just a few. While the properties and applications of polaritons resulting from molecule-light interactions for some wavelengths of light have been investigated, relatively less is known about polaritons associated with light at wavelengths in the mid-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This project uses ultrafast lasers to investigate the fundamental properties of polaritons in the mid-infrared regime, and aims to understand and control interactions among polaritons. The results of this fundamental research are expected to contribute to the eventual development of new technological capabilities in chemical sensing, materials development, and visualization in the dark. Central elements of the education project include development of an online course in photonic materials research aimed at first- and second-year undergraduate students. The course is designed to help overcome many students' fears about math- and science-heavy topics, and to attract a more diverse group of students to the field of materials research. In addition, this project establishes a pipeline for engaging underrepresented minority students in summer research activities at UC San Diego, through collaboration with a faculty member at a historically black college and university (HBCU).Technical Description: Polaritons are hybrid particles resulting from strong coupling between photon and material excitations. The scientific aim of this project is to understand and control the coherences and nonlinear interactions of multiple molecular infrared polaritons, 'on a chip'. The outcome would enable mid-infrared photonic devices, such as mid-infrared optical modulators, waveguides, and lasers, that are crucial for realizing lab-on-chip mid-infrared chemical sensing for the medical and material industries. Polariton research has provided novel photonic applications in the visible and THz regimes, but not in the mid-infrared regime. Yet, mid-infrared polariton photonic devices are critical in developing lab-on-chip chemical sensing. Fundamental knowledge, such as coherent lifetime, spatial coherences, and nonlinear interactions of mid-infrared polaritons remains unclear, which prevents mid-infrared polariton photonic application developments. To advance basic knowledge of mid-infrared polaritons, the research team plans to work on two important aspects: (1) Coherence of mid-infrared polaritons is pushed beyond the natural coherence lifetime of molecular vibrations, breaking limits that currently constrain the use of mid-infrared photons for photonic circuitry and molecular sensing. (2) Coherent and coupled multiple distinguishable polaritons 'on a chip' can open the gateway for creating coherent superpositions of multiple coupled quantum states for multi-color photonic devices. In addition, the novel ultrafast mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging to be developed can be extended into other mid-infrared photonic studies.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.

非技术描述：分子尺度的材料与光之间的相互作用可以产生一种称为极化子的新型材料粒子。极化子具有独特的特性，使其可用于广泛的社会相关应用，包括医学、化学传感和国土安全等。虽然已经研究了某些波长的光的分子-光相互作用产生的极化子的性质和应用，但对与电磁波谱中红外部分波长的光相关的极化子的了解相对较少。该项目使用超快激光器研究中红外区域极化子的基本特性，旨在了解和控制极化子之间的相互作用。这项基础研究的结果预计将有助于化学传感、材料开发和黑暗可视化等新技术能力的最终发展。该教育项目的核心要素包括开发针对一年级和二年级本科生的光子材料研究在线课程。该课程旨在帮助克服许多学生对数学和科学主题的恐惧，并吸引更多不同的学生群体进入材料研究领域。此外，该项目通过与历史悠久的黑人学院和大学 (HBCU) 的一名教员合作，建立了一个渠道，让代表性不足的少数族裔学生参与加州大学圣地亚哥分校的夏季研究活动。技术说明：极化子是强耦合产生的混合粒子光子和材料激发之间。该项目的科学目标是理解和控制“芯片上”多个分子红外极化子的相干性和非线性相互作用。该成果将使中红外光子器件成为可能，例如中红外光调制器、波导和激光器，这对于实现医疗和材料行业的片上实验室中红外化学传感至关重要。 极化子研究在可见光和太赫兹波段提供了新颖的光子应用，但在中红外波段却没有。然而，中红外极化子光子器件对于开发片上实验室化学传感至关重要。中红外极化子的相干寿命、空间相干性和非线性相互作用等基础知识仍不清楚，这阻碍了中红外极化子光子应用的发展。为了加深对中红外极化子的基础认识，研究团队计划在两个重要方面开展工作：（1）将中红外极化子的相干性推向超越分子振动的自然相干寿命，突破目前限制中红外极化子使用的限制。 -用于光子电路和分子传感的红外光子。 (2)“芯片上”相干且耦合的多个可区分的极化子可以为多色光子器件创建多个耦合量子态的相干叠加打开大门。此外，即将开发的新型超快中红外光谱成像可以扩展到其他中红外光子研究。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Cavity-enabled enhancement of ultrafast intramolecular vibrational redistribution over pseudorotation

• DOI: 10.1126/science.add0276
• 发表时间: 2022-11-18
• 期刊: SCIENCE
• 影响因子: 56.9
• 作者: Chen, Teng-Teng;Du, Matthew;Xiong, Wei
• 通讯作者: Xiong, Wei

Enhanced optical nonlinearities under collective strong light-matter coupling

集体强光-物质耦合下增强的光学非线性

• DOI: 10.1103/physreva.103.063111
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Physical Review A
• 影响因子: 2.9
• 作者: Ribeiro, Raphael F.;Campos-Gonzalez-Angulo, Jorge A.;Giebink, Noel C.;Xiong, Wei;Yuen-Zhou, Joel
• 通讯作者: Yuen-Zhou, Joel

Molecular vibrational polariton: Its dynamics and potentials in novel chemistry and quantum technology

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0054896
• 发表时间: 2021-08-07
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
• 影响因子: 4.4
• 作者: Xiang, Bo;Xiong, Wei
• 通讯作者: Xiong, Wei

Negligible rate enhancement from reported cooperative vibrational strong coupling catalysis

报道的协同振动强耦合催化的速率提高可以忽略不计

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0077549
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: The Journal of Chemical Physics
• 作者: Wiesehan, Garret D.;Xiong, Wei
• 通讯作者: Xiong, Wei

Ultrafast Coherence Delocalization in Real Space Simulated by Polaritons

• DOI: 10.1002/adom.202102237
• 发表时间: 2021-07
• 期刊: Advanced Optical Materials
• 影响因子: 9
• 作者: Bo Xiang;Zimo Yang;Yi-Zhuang You;Wei Xiong