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Physical Measurement Laboratory / Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division

Photonics and Optomechanics Group

Projects/Programs

Displaying 1 - 25 of 29
Diagram of In-Situ AFM During Resist Development

Advanced Metrology to Enable Next Generation EUV Photoresists

Ongoing
EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography, the technology that “saved Moore’s Law,” is widely regarded as the future of cutting-edge nanofabrication. It was developed in the United States and U.S. companies in many parts of the EUV ecosystem have established dominance in the field that must be defended
simulated 3d SEM images of a 60nm gold nanoparticle

Computational Scanning Electron Microscopy

Ongoing
In many cases, SEM measurements are carried out without knowledge of the best measurement conditions, partly due to engineering limits of the SEM, but also due to lack of thorough knowledge of the physics of the signal generation. For example, in many cases the best-quality results can be obtained
SEM measurement of PS-PMMA lamellae on a neutral substrate

Directed Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers (Archived)

Completed
Diblock copolymers are long molecular chain polymers with two (di) regions, or blocks, of dissimilar monomers. They are constructed by covalently linking two different polymer chains at their ends. The two regions can be chosen so that they repel each other. Normally mixtures of different polymers
Schematic showing DNA origami in a laser beam

DNA Origami for Precise Manufacturing of Nanoscale Structures

Completed
The base pairing of adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine to form DNA provides a robust molecular recognition scheme that can be used to create a wide variety of well-ordered nanostructures. DNA origami, which uses a long scaffold strand folded together by specific sets of short staple strands

Efficient Optical Spectroscopy of Single Solid-State Quantum Emitters

Ongoing
For emitters embedded in semiconductors, such as a quantum dot in GaAs, the fluorescence collection efficiency is limited by the large refractive index contrast between the semiconductor in comparison to the surrounding air. This causes most of the light emission to remain trapped in the
Blue rectangle with green line through it. Electron Solid Interaction Illustration.

Electron-Solid Interactions

Ongoing
A measuring instrument produces a signal that depends upon the value of the measurand. The value and its uncertainty are inferred from the signal by using a model of their relationship. Erroneous models lead to erroneous inference. The accuracy of SEM (scanning electron microscopy) is limited by
A high-finesse Fabry-Perot interferometer

Fabry-Perot Displacement Interferometry

Ongoing
Fabry-Perot interferometry has the highest resolution of any displacement sensor, below one picometer, and yet may be used to measure displacements of many centimeters. Equally important, it enables a natural and direct link to the SI unit of length, defined in terms of the speed of light. We are

Fluctuations and Nanoscale Control (Archived)

Completed
In liquids, the motion of a nanoparticle results from a complex interplay of fluid flow, external and internal dynamics, and random Brownian motion. Each of these processes leads to fluctuations in a measured signal. Normally it is an important (and difficult) task for the experimenter is to

Fluctuations and Nanoscale Control Software (Archived)

Completed
For each file YYY.m, type "doc YYY" from the Matlab command prompt for documentation, literature references, and usage guidelines. DSigma2_Est.m Estimates the diffusion coefficient (D) and localization noise (σ 2 or "Sigma2") from single-particle tracking data. It implements the algorithms for the
single_photon_QFT_schematic

Frequency Conversion Interfaces for Photonic Quantum Systems

Ongoing
Our research on quantum frequency conversion follows two main tracks. First, we combine relatively mature frequency conversion technology based on periodically-poled lithium niobate waveguides with quantum light generated by single semiconductor quantum dots in proof-of-principle experiments that
eight boxes with different graphs

Mapping of Thermal Properties at the Nanoscale

Ongoing
Continuous advances in the performance and functionality of semiconductor devices have been driven by scale reduction, incorporation of new and nanomaterials, and by heterogeneous integration (HI). However, such scaling and integrated architecture has rendered existing thermal metrology inadequate

Measuring Light-Matter Interactions in Chip-Based Optical Cavities

Ongoing
A "single emitter" is a structure that exhibits a transition from a high energy state to a low energy state, thereby generating a photon, or light emission. A variety of solid-state single emitters have been discovered or manufactured. One example is a quantum dot, a nanometer-scale structure that
A micromechanical bulk acoustic resonator that uses phononic crystal tethers to achieve a quality factor approaching the fundamental dissipation limit (fxQ can be as large as 1.2 x 1013 Hz)

Micro- and Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Completed
MEMS/NEMS are enabling technologies that bring new functionalities with the potential to radically transform markets ranging from consumer products to national defense. The meteoric rise of the smartphone is an excellent example, in which MEMS accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, displays, and

Micro- and nano-optomechanical systems

Ongoing
Our primary current research direction involves the use of fabricated devices with sub-wavelength periodicity (photonic crystals) as optomechanical elements. Such structures enable a rich variety of devices, including mirrors, polarizers, and filters, in a configuration that couples naturally to

Modeling and Simulation of Nanofabrication (Archived)

Completed
While self-assembly is still in its relative infancy with respect to practical use, with much additional research required to reach maturity, the more widely utilized top-down methods will continue to require advances and modifications to improve current nanomanufacturing techniques. This modeling

Nanoparticle Tracking for Fluidic Self Assembly (Archived)

Completed
Over the last few decades, scientists have developed a sizable library of nanoscale "building blocks." These nanoparticles have novel thermal, optical, mechanical, and chemical properties relative to their macroscopic counterparts, and organized assemblies of these components promise vast

Nanoplasmonics and Three-Dimensional Plasmonic Metamaterials

Ongoing
Plasmonic materials are composed of metals and insulators that are ordered in geometric arrangements with dimensions that are fractions of the wavelength of light. Research groups are experimenting with a variety of geometric approaches, but all aim to exploit surface plasmons, which are light
Talin_fig_1

Nanostructures for Energy Conversion

Completed
Transportation is the single largest contributor to U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Moving to an electrically powered transportation system that draws on sustainable energy supplies has the potential to lower transportation costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help further reduce the nation's

Nanotribology for Nanomanufacturing (Archived)

Completed
Friction and wear are major causes of mechanical failures and dissipative energy losses. These shortfalls account for a significant portion of the annual gross domestic product in the United States, amounting to approximately $800 billion in 2010. It is estimated that tens of billions of U.S
focused ion beam machining graphs

Photon Drag in Metal Films

Ongoing
The photon-drag (PD) effect is the rectified electrical current in a medium generated by radiation pressure. That is, the optical force delivered to an illuminated metal results in a measurable voltage across the film (Figure, left). For decades, this effect in metals has been understood in terms of