Control of Organic Matter with Strong Coupling
Abstract
The team of investigators from Norfolk State University (one of the nationÕs largest HBCUs) would like to submit the proposal in response to the Funding Opportunity Announcement W911NF-17-S-0010, Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI). As it has been shown in pioneering studies of P.I. Noginov, Co-P.I. Noginova and other research groups, scores of physical phenomena, including light emission, donor-acceptor energy transfer, wetting and chemical reactions, can be strongly modified in the vicinity of metamaterials (rationally designed metal-dielectric composites) and other non-local dielectric environments. They, arguably, occur in the weak coupling regime of light-matter interaction, when the rates of the processes are affected, while the energy states of the interacting systems remain intact. Despite the richness of physical phenomena enabled by the weak coupling, an even greater control of light-matter interactions can be achieved in the strong coupling regime (of e.g. excitons in molecular ensembles and resonant cavities), when the eigen-energies of interacting states differ significantly (by ~1 eV!) from those of individual not interacting constituents. We argue that such a strong change of the energy eigenvalues constitutes creation of a new hybridized matter, with greatly modified quantum mechanical wave-functions, spectroscopic properties, dispersion, surface potentials, electron transport and pathways of chemical reactions. Our studies of weak and strong coupling phenomena revealed that we just scratched the surface of the complex multi-faceted problem and, while providing for some answers, uncovered an even larger number of intriguing questions (below) to be answered in the proposed research program. (1) Where is the crossover of the classical and quantum regimes of the strong coupling? (2) Can two types of molecules form a new coherent state (coherent matter) enabled by their strong coupling with a cavity? (3) Why chemical reactions and the energy transfer are always inhibited on top of metal/dielectric substrates? Can rationally designed dielectric environments accelerate these processes? (4) Does the strong coupling exist in the absence of photons and can this effect be observed experimentally? (5) Can the strong coupling control magnetoresistivity in organic semiconductors? The anticipated outcomes of the proposed effort are in line with the objectives of the AFOSR program Organic Materials Chemistry, whose goal is to discover unusual properties polymeric and organic materials and their inorganic hybrids through a better understanding of their chemistry, physics and processing conditions. This understanding will lead to development of advanced organic and polymeric materials for future U.S. Air Force applications. While two graduate students will be recruited to be trained in the proposed research program, nearly fifty students, including underrepresented minorities, will benefit from the project through participation in the professional development activities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810472
Entities
People
- M. A. Noginov
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Norfolk State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense