UV Nanoplasmonics and Applications

Dr. Henry Everitt, Chief Scientist, Army Aviation & Missile RD&E Center

Sloan Auditorium

Abstract:
Most research in nanoplasmonics has focused on applications in the visible and near infrared, in large part because the metals principally used operate there (Au and Ag).  However, we are increasingly interested in exploring plasmonics in the ultraviolet spectral region, which requires identifying and using new metals that exhibit plasmonic resonances in the UV and do not parasitically oxidize upon exposure to air or water. Applications for UV nanoplasmonics include improved analyte recognition specificity - combining Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with Surface Enhanced Fluorescence (SEF) - and accelerated photo-degradation of adsorbed analytes.  This talk will introduce our work on UV plasmonics, starting with an early SEF demonstration involving an InGaN quantum well coupled to a nearby silver film.  The talk will overview theoretical investigations of various candidate UV plasmonic metals in collaboration with theorists from Univ. de Cantabria, will emphasize recent work at Duke Univ. on UV SERS, SEF, and ellipsometric characterization of Ga nanoparticles, and will conclude by introducing new work on Al-based nanostructures in collaboration with researchers at Rice University.

Bio: 
Dr. Everitt is one of the Army's chief scientists. He works at the Army's Aviation and Missile RD&E Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL. Through his adjunct appointment in the Duke Physics Department, he leads an active experimental research group in condensed matter physics, nanophotonics, molecular physics, and novel terahertz imaging with colleagues on campus and through an international network of collaborators. Four principal research areas are being pursued: ultrafast spectroscopy, ultraviolet nanoplasmonics, molecular physics, and terahertz imaging.