Force-Guiding Particle Chains for Shape-Shifting Displays

We present design and implementation of a chain of particles that can be programmed to fold the chain into a given curve. The particles guide an external force to fold, therefore the particles are simple and amenable for miniaturization. A chain can consist of a large number of such particles. Using multiple of these chains, a shape-shifting display can be constructed that folds its initially flat surface to approximate a given 3D shape that can be touched and modified by users, for example, enabling architects to interactively view, touch, and modify a 3D model of a building.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure, submitted to IROS 201

Optimization of Plasmon Decay Through Scattering and Hot Electron Transfer

Light incident on metal nanoparticles induce localized surface oscillations of conductive electrons, called plasmons, which is a means to control and manipulate light. Excited plasmons decay as either thermal energy as absorbed phonons or electromagnetic energy as scattered photons. An additional decay pathway for plasmons can exist for gold nanoparticles situated on graphene. Excited plasmons can decay directly to the graphene as through hot electron transfer. This dissertation begins by computational analysis of plasmon resonance energy and bandwidth as a function of particle size, shape, and dielectric environment in addition to diffractive coupled in lattices creating a Fano resonance. With this knowledge, plasmon resonance was probed with incident electrons using electron energy loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope. Nanoparticles were fabricated using electron beam lithography on 50 nanometer thick silicon nitride with some particles fabricated with a graphene layer between the silicon nitride and metal structure. Plasmon resonance was compared between ellipses on and off graphene to characterize hot electron transfer as a means of plasmon decay. It was observed that the presence of graphene caused plasmon energy to decrease by as much as 9.8% and bandwidth to increase by 25%. Assuming the increased bandwidth was solely from electron transfer as an additional plasmon decay route, a 20% efficiency of plasmon decay to graphene was calculated for the particular ellipses analyzed

INTERACTIONS AND EFFECTS OF BIOMOLECULES ON AU NANOMATERIAL SURFACES

Au nanoparticles are increasingly being used in biological applications. Their use is of interest based upon their unique properties that are achieved at the nanoscale, which includes strong optical absorbances that are size and aggregation state dependent. Such absorbances can be used in sensitive chemical/biological detection schemes where bioligands can be directly attached to the nanoparticle surface using facile methods. Unfortunately, a number of complications persist that prevent their wide-scale use. These limitations include minimal nanoparticle stability in biological-based media of high ionic strength, unknown surface functionalization effects using simple biomolecules, and determining the binding motifs of the ligands to the nanoparticle surface. This situation can be further complicated when employing shaped materials where crystallographic facets can alter the binding potential of the bioligands. We have attempted to address these issues using traditional nanoparticle functionalization techniques that are able to be characterized using readily available analytical methods. By exploiting the optical properties of Au nanomaterials, we have been able to determine the solution stability of Au nanorods in a buffered medium and site-specifically functionalized Au nanomaterials of two different shapes: spheres and rods. Such abilities are hypothesized to be intrinsic to the bioligand once bound to the surface of the materials. Our studies have focused mainly on simple amino acids that have demonstrated unique assembly abilities for the materials in solution, resulting in the formation of specific patterns. The applications for such capabilities can range from the use of the materials as sensitive biochemical sensors to their directed assembly for use as device components

Self-assembly: From nanoscale to microscale colloids

No abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34250/1/10413_ftp.pd

Plasmonic Mode Engineering with Templated Self-Assembled Nanoclusters

Plasmonic nanoparticle assemblies are a materials platform in which optical modes, resonant frequencies, and near-field intensities can be specified by the number and position of nanoparticles in a cluster. A current challenge is to achieve clusters with higher yields and new types of shapes. In this Letter, we show that a broad range of plasmonic nanoshell nanoclusters can be assembled onto a lithographically defined elastomeric substrate with relatively high yields using templated assembly. We assemble and measure the optical properties of three cluster types: Fano-resonant heptamers, linear chains, and rings of nanoparticles. The yield of heptamer clusters is measured to be over 30%. The assembly of plasmonic nanoclusters on an elastomer paves the way for new classes of plasmonic nanocircuits and colloidal metamaterials that can be transfer-printed onto various substrate media.Engineering and Applied Science

Localized surface plasmon resonance for biosensing lab-on-a-chip applications

In recent times, metallic nanoparticle plasmonics coupled with applications towards biosensing has gathered momentum to the point where commercial R&D are investing large resources in developing the so-called localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) biosensors. Conceptually, the main motivation for the research presented within this thesis is achievement of fully-operational LSPR biosensor interfaced with the state-of-the-art microfluidics, allowing for very precise control of sample manipulation and stable read-out. LSPR sensors are specifficaly engineered by electron beam lithography nanofabrication technique, where nanoparticle interactions are optimized to exhibit increased sensitivity and higher signal-to-noise ratio. However, the overall performance of LSPR lab-on-a-chip device depends critically on the biorecognition layer preparation in combination with surface passivation. As an introduction, the principles of plasmonic biosensing are identified encompassing both Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and Localized SPR. Being successfully implemented into commercial product, the governing physics of SPR is compared to LSPR in chapter 1, together with advantages and disadvantages of both. Chapter 2 describes methods necessary for LSPR biosensor development, beginning with nano-fabrication methods, the modelling tool (COMSOL Multiphisics), while the basics of micro-fabrication in microfluidics conclude this chapter, where passive and active microfluidics networks are discerned. Particularly attractive optical properties are exhibited by closely-coupled nanoparticles (dimers), with the dielectric gap of below tens of nm, which were theoretically predicted to be very suitable as LSPR biosensing substrates. Chapter 3 is subjected to optical characterization (dependence on the size of the dielectric gap) of nanofabricated dimer arrays. The acquired data demonstrate the advantages of the nanofabrication methods presented in chapter 2 and the technique for fast and reliable determination of nanoparticle characteristic parameters. The initial biosensing-like experiments presented in chapter 4 (no integration with microfluidics) proved for the first time, the theoretical predictions of higher sensitivity, yielding additionally the specific response as function of analyte size and dielectric gap between nanoparticles. The overall response of different dimer arrays (various gaps) provides information about adopted conformation of analyte protein once immobilized. Broad resonances of dimers feature higher noise when employing them for the real-time LSPR biosensing. As a way to circumvent such problem, the feasibility of employing far-field interaction within the nanoparticle array to spectrally narrow resonance is investigated in chapter 5 by optimizing the array periodicity and introducing thin waveguiding layers. Finally, the concluding chapter 6 is dedicated to a full assembly of a Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) LSPR biosensor, starting with interfacing plasmonic substrates with compatible active microfluidic networks, allowing the precise sample delivery and multiplexing. The prototype device consisting of 8 individual sensors is presented with typical modes of operation. The bulk refractive index determination of various samples demonstrates the working principle of such device. Finally, various strategies of biorecognition layer formation are discussed within the on-going research

Conformation and dynamics of partially active linear polymers

We perform numerical simulations of isolated, partially active polymers, driven out-of-equilibrium by a fraction of their monomers. We show that, if the active beads are all gathered in a contiguous block, the position of the section along the chain determines the conformational and dynamical properties of the system. Notably, one can modulate the diffusion coefficient of the polymer from {active-like to passive-like} just by changing the position of the active block. Further, in special cases, enhancement of diffusion can be achieved by decreasing the overall polymer activity. Our findings may help in the modelization of active biophysical systems, such as filamentous bacteria or worms.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures + supplemental 4 pages, 7 figure

Topological Photonics

Topological photonics is a rapidly emerging field of research in which geometrical and topological ideas are exploited to design and control the behavior of light. Drawing inspiration from the discovery of the quantum Hall effects and topological insulators in condensed matter, recent advances have shown how to engineer analogous effects also for photons, leading to remarkable phenomena such as the robust unidirectional propagation of light, which hold great promise for applications. Thanks to the flexibility and diversity of photonics systems, this field is also opening up new opportunities to realize exotic topological models and to probe and exploit topological effects in new ways. This article reviews experimental and theoretical developments in topological photonics across a wide range of experimental platforms, including photonic crystals, waveguides, metamaterials, cavities, optomechanics, silicon photonics, and circuit QED. A discussion of how changing the dimensionality and symmetries of photonics systems has allowed for the realization of different topological phases is offered, and progress in understanding the interplay of topology with non-Hermitian effects, such as dissipation, is reviewed. As an exciting perspective, topological photonics can be combined with optical nonlinearities, leading toward new collective phenomena and novel strongly correlated states of light, such as an analog of the fractional quantum Hall effect.Comment: 87 pages, 30 figures, published versio