E2-Plas - Electrically-Excited Surface Plasmon Nanosources Using Carbon Nanotube Light Emission
Carbon nanotube opto-electronics and plasmonics exploit novel fascinating physical phenomena and are among the most promising research areas for nanotechnology providing functional nano-objects for data transfer and processing at ultimate device densities. With E²-Plas, we propose interfacing these two technologies to create the first efficient electrically-driven multiplexing surface plasmon source. In the first two steps of this project, we explore the laws governing electromagnetic near-field coupling between nanotubes and plasmon-guiding metallic nanostructures. Utilizing high-resolution optical microscopy we probe the electromagnetic fields along single nanotube / metal waveguides visualizing both localized and propagating optical excitations. Finally, we use an electroluminescent nanotube to launch surface plasmons on demand in addressable waveguides. Our team is formed by peers in the field of plasmonics, near-field microscopy and carbon nanotube technology providing the expertise required to address this challenging and innovative project.
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