Electrically driven plasmonic light emitters strongly coupled to excitons and dielectric resonators

与激子和介电谐振器强耦合的电驱动等离子体发光体

基本信息

批准号：
2309941
负责人：
Douglas Natelson
金额：
$ 44.26万
依托单位：
William Marsh Rice University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2023
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2023-08-15 至 2026-07-31
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2309941&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Electrically driven plasmonic light emitters

项目摘要

Extremely small light emitting devices are of potential use in next-generation computing and communications technologies. Two metal electrodes separated by an atomic-scale gap can function as both an electrical device and a nanoscale light source. When a current is driven across the nanogap, the electrons that “tunnel” from one electrode to the other can excite collective motions of the electrons, called plasmons, in the electrodes. Energy from successive electrons can build up in the plasmons and the electrodes, leading to a steady-state population of electrons with an effective temperature so high that they glow in the visible range. If the nanogap is very close to materials with optical resonances in that same energy range, then the light emission can be strongly modified, as energy is transferred back and forth between the metal and the optical materials. The PI proposes to examine light emission in two such coupled systems: 2D materials that act as semiconductors and have the kind of optical transitions in light emitting diodes; and special patterned insulators (cavities) that are designed to trap light at specific energies. The goals are to maximize the strength of the plasmon-material energy transfer, to examine the effect on light emission of electrically tuning the semiconductor and having very sharp cavity resonances, to create light emitting devices of this type that function stably at room temperature, and to count individual emitted photons to search for quantum effects in the light emission. Results will be presented through publications, conference talks, and accessible writing by the PI on his blog. This project will support the professional development and research training of graduate students and undergraduate researchers, contributing to a skilled technological workforce. The PI will participate in Rice efforts incorporating K12 teachers and will continue public outreach to lifelong learners through the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. The PI’s group has demonstrated that nanoscale plasmonic tunnel junctions can emit light at energies above the applied electrical bias in an electroluminescent process based on the plasmon-assisted generation and plasmon-enhanced recombination of a steady-state population of hot carriers. In nanogaps coupled to 2D semiconductors, the electroluminescence shows peak splittings indicative of strong plasmon/exciton coupling, showing that these devices are electrically driven “plexcitonic” emitters. The PI proposes an integrated research and education program to quantify and maximize these effects. Goals include maximizing the plasmon/exciton coupling in devices incorporating gate-tunable transition metal dichalcogenides; demonstrating electroluminescence in plasmonic nanogaps strongly coupled to photonic crystal dielectric cavities; implementing such junctions in plasmonic materials that allow room temperature operation; and using photon counting statistics to examine photon bunching/antibunching, to better understand emission mechanisms in these polaritonic structures. The PI’s team of graduate and undergraduate researchers will collaborate with theorists in modeling of these systems, enabling critical feedback for optimization of device structures. Results will be presented through publications, conference talks, and accessible writing by the PI on his blog. This project will support the professional development and research training of graduate students and undergraduate researchers, contributing to a skilled technological workforce. The PI will participate in Rice efforts incorporating K12 teachers and will continue public outreach to lifelong learners through the Glasscock School of Continuing 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.

极小的发光器件在下一代计算和通信技术中具有潜在用途，当电流穿过纳米间隙时，两个由原子级间隙隔开的金属电极可以充当电气设备和纳米级光源。从一个电极“隧道”到另一个电极的电子可以激发电极中电子的集体运动，称为等离子体激元。来自连续电子的能量可以在等离子体激元和电极中积聚，从而形成稳态。有效温度如此高的电子群，它们在可见光范围内发光如果纳米间隙非常接近在相同能量范围内具有光学共振的材料，那么随着能量来回转移，光发射可以被强烈改变。 PI 提议检查两种此类耦合系统中的光发射：充当半导体并具有发光二极管中的光学跃迁的 2D 材料；以及设计的特殊图案绝缘体（腔体）。捕获特定能量的光，目标是最大化等离激元材料能量转移的强度，检查电调谐半导体和具有非常尖锐的腔谐振对光发射的影响，以创建这种类型的发光器件。该项目将在室温下稳定运行，并对单个发射的光子进行计数，以寻找光发射中的量子效应。该项目将通过出版物、会议演讲和 PI 的博客上的易读文章来呈现。研究生和本科生研究人员的研究培训， PI 将参与莱斯大学 K12 教师的工作，并将通过格拉斯考克继续研究学院继续向终身学习者进行公开宣传。 PI 的团队已经证明，纳米级等离激元隧道结可以发出高于能量的光。在电致发光过程中施加电偏压，该过程基于与二维半导体耦合的纳米间隙中热载流子的稳态群体的等离子体辅助生成和等离子体增强复合。电致发光显示出表明强等离激元/激子耦合的峰值分裂，表明这些器件是电驱动的“丛激子”发射器。PI提出了一个综合研究和教育计划来量化和最大化这些效应，包括最大化等离激元/激子耦合。结合栅极可调过渡金属二硫化物的器件；展示了与光子晶体介电腔强耦合的等离激元纳米间隙中的电致发光；允许室温操作的等离子体材料；并使用光子计数统计来检查光子聚束/反聚束，以更好地了解这些极化子结构中的发射机制。PI 的研究生和本科生研究人员团队将与理论家合作对这些系统进行建模，从而实现关键的系统模型。设备结构优化的反馈结果将通过 PI 的出版物、会议演讲和博客上的易读文章呈现。该项目将支持研究生和本科生研究人员的专业发展和研究培训，为培养熟练的技术劳动力做出贡献。。这PI 将参与莱斯大学 K12 教师的努力，并将通过格拉斯考克继续教育学院继续向终身学习者进行公共宣传。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。