Electrically-driven next generation of plasmonic nanosource of light

Informazioni relative al progetto

ThunderLight

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101027372

DOI

10.3030/101027372

Progetto concluso il 31 Dicembre 2021

Data della firma CE 7 Aprile 2021

Data di avvio 1 Giugno 2021

Data di completamento 31 Maggio 2023

Finanziato da

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Costo totale

€ 184 707,84

Contributo UE

€ 184 707,84

Coordinato da

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ThunderLight (Electrically-driven next generation of plasmonic nanosource of light)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-06-01 al 2023-05-31

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

This project aims to achieve an electrically driven nanosource of light with improved emission performance (efficiency, coherence, photon statistics) compared to the state of the art. Such a nanosource consists of semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots which are a source of single photons) positioned precisely inside the nanogap of an optical gold nanoantenna. This device constitutes an extremely rich platform for the control of light and corresponds to an important step for the integration of light nanosources with nanoelectronics. The emission of light is activated by the local electrical excitation of the optical modes of the nanoantenna by inelastic electronic tunneling from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Thus, an in-depth optical and electro-optical characterization of the nanosource is necessary to understand and control all the elementary processes on which the performance of the device depends. Our project is carried out through the use of a clean room equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a dedicated STM coupled with an optical microscope.
One of the main goals of the project is the electrical excitation of an emitter in a plasmonic nanocavity at room temperature. The project combines different elements: the realization of a nanometric device; coupling quantum emitters to a plasmon cavity / bowtie antenna to control the emission characteristics of a single photon source; and the electrical excitation of such a device.
The project ended earlier (7 months out of 24) due to the recruitment of the coordinator for a permanent researcher position at the CNRS. As a result, most of the work done consists in the production of gold antennas in a clean room and their optical characterization. This step is the first in the production of the nanodevice and has made it possible to highlight certain limits in the control of the spacing between the nanoantennas produced, a key step to ensure the repeatability and use of the device. Presentations open to the public during the Fête de la Science were held to discuss this project, showed images of nanoantennas, and how to excite them with a scanning tunneling microscope.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

During the period concerned, after training on the different configurations, we fabricated several samples on different substrates (glass, gold, ITO) for several bowtie antennas (two sizes, two intervals, and four shapes) in a clean room. The sizes of the gaps have been varied with a 10nm control at this time and which should be refined during the process. We have also made antennas consisting of three or four triangular nanoparticles, in order to modify the optical response of the antenna and its ability to direct light. These results and more general information about the project were discussed through several public and scientific events: Fête de la Science, two summer schools in the field of photonics, and a one-day workshop on Charge Transfer.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

Compared to the state of the art, we have achieved gap sizes of the order of ten nanometers on three different substrates (glass, ITO, and gold film). However, due to the short period of the project, the reproducibility of the process needs to be confirmed. We have also introduced other bowtie antenna geometries that would require further study and characterization to show their interest in controlling light emission.

schemaprojet.jpg