FY2010 - Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Director’s R&D Fund—
General
GENERAL
05315
Active Control of Surface Plasmonics with Ferroelectricity
Jian Shen, Gyula Eres, Ilia N. Ivanov, Katya Seal, and Zhenyu Zhang
Project Description
The discovery that light can be squeezed into subwavelength structures has revolutionized conventional
optics. These interactions, known as surface plasmons, occur when the conduction electrons at a
metal/dielectric interface resonantly interact with external electromagnetic fields. In this regime highly
conductive metallic layers become transparent, capable of field concentration, tunable spectral response,
and enhanced absorption, and promising dramatic innovations in renewable energy, single molecule
spectroscopy, and signal transmission. Discovery and exploration of plasmonic phenomena have been
limited to static (passive) structures. However, the most exciting applications of plasmonic phenomena
occur in the visible spectral range with active control of the plasmonic response. In this project, we are
studying the fundamental mechanisms leading to active control of the plasmonic response in the visible
range using ferroelectric materials to create extreme field gradients resulting in a highly nonlinear
response at the metal/dielectric interface. The wide bandgap and the highly nonlinear behavior of
ferroelectric materials coupled with periodic metal structures offer unique access to surface plasmonic
phenomena in the visible range. This project represents the first step toward developing a strong ORNL
program for plasmonics research based on integrating advanced materials synthesis capabilities with
fundamental understanding of materials requirements for active control of plasmonics.
Mission Relevance
The purpose of this project is to explore the fundamental mechanisms leading to active control of surface
plasmonics in the visible spectral range. This is an unexplored area of plasmonic interactions that
prominently features the scientific principles for developing high efficiency third-generation photovoltaic
devices. Much of the surface plasmonics research in United States is presently funded through the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (DOE EERE), and it is likely that funding will continue in the years to come.
Currently, this project team has established a close working relationship with DARPA manager
Dr. Dennis Polla, who is very interested in our ideas of studying surface plasmonics. He is considering
funding a major nanosensor program at ORNL based on surface plasmonsics. In addition to DARPA and
DOE EERE, the potential impact of tunable surface plasmonics in renewable energy implies that this
exciting area could expand to become a new ORNL fundamental science program under the new
initiatives for energy research program in the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences.
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