Plasmonic-Dielectric Metamaterials for Enhanced Spectroscopy and Controlled Chemistry
Abstract
The goal of the proposed research is to utilize fundamental light-matter interactions of strong coupling and confinement to alter molecular potential energy surfaces (PESs) to control chemical reaction dynamics. This research proposal explores three interrelated topics. Topic 1: Strong coupling of plasmonic-dielectric metamaterials. We will control Rabi splitting in optical devices through the use of hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWGs). We will (1) create static two-level splitting in J-aggregated doped HPWGs; (2) design the first excited state transient Rabi splitting optical device; and (3) investigate the timescales of Rabi splitting using dopant molecules with different excited state lifetimes. Topic 2: Confinement effects on PESs. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) has been proposed as an explanation for the observation of new chemical phenomena in strongly confined optical cavities. We propose a detailed investigation of SRS in the strong confinement regime for: (1) understanding the influence of optomechanical cavity effects on tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS); (2) observing coherent Raman scattering (CRS) effects in the light-matter interactions within the tip-sample junction in TERS; and (3) use the effects of confinement with SRS in TERS to study elementary reactions of small non-resonant molecules. Topic 3: Polaritonic molecular states by strong confinement and coupling. To understand polaritonic molecular states that arise from strong coupling and confinement by cavity modes, we will: (1) use the sensitivity of CRS to probe strong coupling in molecular-optical cavity polaritonic states of small molecules and (2) perform spectroelectrochemistry in coupled molecular-electrochemical cavities to examine vibrational polaritonic effects. Outcomes. The proposed research program will transform our ability to control and even reprogram chemical reaction pathways and dynamics on the nanometer length scale. Consequently we anticipate that it will have a major impact on the fields of chemistry, materials science, and photonics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 03, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141713024
Entities
People
- Richard P. Van Duyne
Organizations
- Northwestern University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy