The Institute of Applied Physics / Photophysics (IAPP) at the University of Technology (TUD) devotes its research to optoelectronic and nanooptical / nanoelectronic issues, including research on different highly prospective nanomaterials such as organic and inorganic molecules, polymers, metallic and dielectric nanoparticles as well as low-and high-k materials. Of interest are both the temporal and the nanoscale behaviour of such assemblies in light emission and absorption, which makes it necessary to develop also special methods and techniques being able to record electrical and optical signals on that mentioned time and space scale.

The team of Prof. Eng has contributed to the field of polariton research in both theory and experiment. Of interest are investigations on two-, one-, and zero-dimensional metallic nanostructures, i.e. metallic films, wires, and nanoparticles, which are prepared by different chemical and physical routes. For theoretical calculations, we use a multiple-multipole approach allowing for real three-dimensional simulations and incorporating many interfaces. Our achievements were focusing on:

(a) 2D metallic films, inspecting the plasmon transmission and propagation across narrow groves or slits thereby being able to modify the plasmon transmission, reflexion, and spectral properties (plasmon waveguide properties),

(b) the stimulated emission and amplification of surface plasmon through optically pumped organic dyes (plasmonic light source),

(c) the zero-dimensional spectral behaviour of individual metallic nanoparticles as well as arrays of nanoparticles for sensoric applications, including optical near-field microscopy extended to optically anisotropic systems.
 

Description of resources

The institute IAPP counts approximately 60 employees from which ~ 10 are involved in the plasmonic research, 7 in other nano-optical issues, and ~20 employees in light emission devices. Experimental tools available to this project include scanning probe facilities at room in air, liquid and vacuum, as well as at ambient and low temperatures, evaporation tools (CVD, PVD, epitaxial growth) in vacuum, XPS/UPS, LEED, optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, access to SEM, TEM and FIB

Publications and / or patents

J. Seidel, S. Grafström, and L.M. Eng, Stimulated emission of surface plasmons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 (2005) 177401.

S. Schneider, S. Grafström, and L.M. Eng, Scattering near-field optical microscopy of optically anisotropic systems, Phys. Rev. B 71 (2005) 115418.

J. Renger, S. Grafström, L.M. Eng, and R. Hillenbrand, Resonant light scattering by near-field induced phonon polaritons, Phys. Rev. B 71 (2005) 075410.

© 2006 Plasmon Enhanced Photonics