402-0468-15L  Nanomaterials for Photonics

SemesterSpring Semester 2015
LecturersR. Grange
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractThe lecture describes various types of nanomaterials (semiconductor, metal, dielectric, carbon-based...) for photonic applications (optoelectronics, plasmonics, photonic crystal...). It starts with nanophotonic concepts of light-matter interactions, then the synthesis/fabrication methods, the optical characterization techniques and the applications (lab-on-a-chip, nanofluidic, nanomarkers...).
ObjectiveThe students will acquire theoretical and experimental knowledge in the different types of nanomaterials (semiconductors, metals, dielectric, carbon-based, ...) and their uses as building blocks for advanced applications in photonics (optoelectronics, plasmonics, photonic crystal, ...). Together with the exercises, the students will learn (1) to read, summarize and discuss scientific articles related to the lecture, (2) to estimate order of magnitudes with calculations using the theory seen during the lecture, and (3) to prepare a short oral presentation about one topic related to the lecture.
Content1. Introduction to Nanomaterials for photonics
-Classification of the materials in sizes and speed, Orders of magnitude, permittivity
-Nanophotonics concepts: confinement of matter and of radiation
-Analogy between photons and electrons:

2. Generation of Nanomaterials
-Top-down approach
-Bottom-up approach

3. Characterization of Nanomaterials
-Optical microscopy: Bright and dark field, fluorescence, confocal, high resolution: PALM (STORM), STED
-Electron microscopy : SEM, TEM
-Scanning probe microscopy: STM, AFM
-Near field microscopy: SNOM

4. Plasmonics
-Surface plasmon and localized surface plasmon (sphere, rod, shell)
-Theoretical models to calculate the radiated field
-Fabrication of plasmonic structures: Chemical synthesis, Nanofabrication
-Applications: field enhancement, optical antennas, nanotools for medicine

5. Organic nanomaterials
-Organic quantum-confined structure: nanomers and quantum dots.
-Carbon nanotubes: properties, bandgap description, fabrication
-Graphene: motivation, fabrication, devices

6. Semiconductors
-Crystalline structure, wave function, electronic states, band structure
-Optical properties related to quantum confinement
-Example of effects: absorption, photoluminescence, fluorescence, Stark effect
-Solid-state-lasers : edge emitting, surface emitting, quantum cascade

7. Photonic crystals
-Analogy photonic and electronic crystal
-1D, 2D, 3D photonic crystal
-Features: band gap, local enhancement, superprism, anomalous refraction, defects

8. Optofluidic
-History of micro-nano-opto-fluidic
-Nanoscale forces and scale law

9. Nanomarkers
-Contrast in imaging modalities
-Optical imaging mechanisms : Stokes-shift vs Anti-Stokes Shift Process
-Static versus dynamic probes
Lecture notesSlides will be available for downloading
LiteratureReferences will be given during the lecture
Prerequisites / NoticeBasics of solid-state physics (i.e. energy bands) can help