The overarching goal of this project is to devise a new synthesis and self-assembly strategy for the development of photonic and negative index refraction metamaterials. The goal of the proposed partnership between South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Ames National Laboratory is to combine the synthetic efforts going on at the South Dakota Mines with the advanced characterization and simulation capabilities at the Ames National Laboratory, to advance synthetic and assembly strategies for anisotropic split nanoring resonator to pursue their unique properties as photonic metamaterials. We aim to understand and control the directional interactions involved in surface patched split nanorings to assist the formation of large-scale self-assembled metamaterials with photonic properties by design. The insights from this work will allow other researchers to create systems that are appropriate for transformative manufacturing, sensing, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
We propose a closely integrated experimental–computational-characterization program of work aimed at synthesizing nanoring building blocks and controlling their orientation in large-scale self-assembled metamaterials. To do so, we will utilize advances in the wet chemistry synthesis of anisotropic nanoparticles (NPs) and eccentric etching to form into ring-shaped NPs, precise surface patch decorations, in-situ nanoscopic imaging of decoration dynamics in liquids with unprecedented nanometer (nm), in-situ microscopic imaging of self-assembly dynamics in equilibrium and out of equilibrium with nm and millisecond (ms) resolutions, simulation algorithms that provide prediction on assembly behaviors and optical properties, advanced properties characterizations of metamaterials, and the synergy between these approaches.
We foresee the synthetic strategies to be developed in the proposed research can enrich the synthetically available split nanoring structures. We also aim to bring new research insights to photonic metamaterial community by offering a new bottom-up self-assembly strategy, with the capabilities in orientation control of individual NP within the array, and tunability and scalability via nanoring synthesis and self-assembly. We expect the similar strategies can be extended to other anisotropic NP system, and serve as a universal way to control the directional interactions and individual building blocks within large-scale self-assembled structures, for applications in photonic metamaterials and beyond.
To promote inclusive and equitable research (PIER), we aim to disseminate the knowledge of NP synthesis, assembly and imaging to the general public, by developing and using mobile and webpage apps for nanomaterial imaging workflow visualization, doing demos of nanoscale imaging to K-12 students, senior residents, and native American communities, and engaging in a series of other education and outreach activities on and off campus.