MSE Seminar Series - Prof. Teri Odom

Conformal Solid-state Emitters Coupled to Plasmonic Nanoparticle Lattices

Metal nanostructures can concentrate optical fields into highly confined, nanoscale volumes that can be exploited in a wide range of applications, from sensing to imaging. Arrays of nanoparticles have significant advantages over the properties of single particles because they support collective modes that are ultra-narrow (< 3 nm) and with highly concentrated, near-field optical modes. The precise assembly of molecular and functional materials within these localized regions, however, is a long-standing challenge. This talk will describe how solid-state emitters ranging from molecular crystalline materials to upconversion nanoparticles to colloidal quantum dots conformally coated on plasmonic nanoparticle arrays can result in unprecedented light-matter interactions, including strong coupling, ultra-low threshold, continuous-wave lasing, and directional lasing with exquisite polarization control.