Low-temperature plasmonics of metallic nanostructures

The requirements for spatial and temporal manipulation of electromagnetic fields on the nanoscale have recently resulted in an ever-increasing use of plasmonics for achieving various functionalities with superior performance to those available from conventional photonics. For these applications, ohmic losses resulting from free-electron scattering in the metal is one major limitation for the performance of plasmonic structures. In the low-frequency regime, ohmic losses can be reduced at low temperatures. In this work, we study the effect of temperature on the optical response of different plasmonic nanostructures and show that the extinction of a plasmonic nanorod metamaterial can be efficiently controlled with temperature with transmission changes by nearly a factor of 10 between room and liquid nitrogen temperatures, while temperature effects in plasmonic crystals are relatively weak (transmission changes only up to 20%). Because of the different nature of the plasmonic interactions in these types of plasmonic nanostructures, drastically differing responses (increased or decreased extinction) to temperature change were observed despite identical variations of the metal's permittivity.     

纳米金属粉体制备及其表面等离子共振应用

介绍了金、银等金属纳米结构的形貌可控的合成工艺进展，详述了纳米金属粉体的表面等离子共振特性、原理，展望了它们一些独特的应用，包括电磁场的区域增强、光学成像、光传榆、比色传感器和纳米范围的光波导等。     

Template and template-free preparation of one-dimensional metallic nanostructures

In this article, we have studied and developed two approaches for organizing metallic nanoparticles into one-dimensional assemblies. The first uses DNA as a ‘template’ and allows the preparation of various silver nanostructures (‘beads-on-a-string’ or rod-like wires). The conductance of such nanostructures was demonstrated by employing a powerful technique, Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM). This technique gave us ‘contactless’ information about the electrical properties of silver nanostructures, aligned on a SiO₂/Si surface. Additionally, I–V characteristics of a single silver nanowire crossing two microelectrodes were recorded. The nanowire resistivity was estimated at 1.46 × 10⁻⁷ Ω m (at 300 K), which is one order of magnitude higher than that of bulk silver (1.6 × 10⁻⁸ Ω m). The second approach is a ‘template-free’ one, and exploits the binding ability of l-arginine, which favours the self-assembling of capped gold nanoparticles into gold nanochains. The results suggest that gold nanochains were formed due to dipole–dipole interaction between adjacent nanoparticles, which fuse together through an oriented attachment mechanism. Atomic force microscopy, TEM, UV–vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the morphological, optical and structural properties of these metallic nanostructures.     

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio metallic nanostructures using nanoskiving

This communication describes the fabrication of gold structures (for example, rings) with wall thickness of 40 nm, and with high aspect ratios up to 25. This technique combines thin-film deposition of metal on a topographically patterned epoxy substrate, with nanometer-scale sectioning using a microtome in a plane parallel to the patterned substrate. The dimensions of the metal structures are determined by the thickness of the metal film and the thickness of the epoxy sections. The shape of the resulting nanostructure is defined by the cross section of the original template.     

Computational design and property predictions for two-dimensional nanostructures

Recent success in isolating and growing various two-dimensional (2D) materials with intriguing properties has pushed forward the search for new 2D nanostructures with novel properties. Current experimental trial-and-error methods face the fundamental challenges of low efficiency and a lack of clear guidelines. In contrast, based on state-of-the-art first-principles calculations and well-developed structural prediction algorithms, computational simulations can not only predict an increasing number of new 2D materials with desirable properties but also suggest their possible synthesis routes. Among them, many predictions, such as the growth of monolayer boron sheets (borophene), piezoelectricity in molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), ferroelectricity in tin telluride (SnTe), topological defects in transition metal dichalcogenides, Dirac cones in borophene, and high carrier mobility and mobility anisotropy in black phosphorene, have been verified by experiments, showing the accuracy of computational approaches, as well as their power in facilitating experimental exploration in 2D flatland. To date, the rapid expansion in theoretical work has generated a large number of very important results, but the overall picture of recent progress, current challenges, and future opportunities is rarely discussed. Accordingly, this review aims at providing information about current trends and future perspectives for 2D materials research. To achieve this, the review is organized as follows: (1) discussion of structural predictions in 2D materials using borophene as an example; (2) predictions of the electronic, optical, mechanical, and magnetic properties in various 2D materials; (3) discussion of the influence of defects on the structures and properties of 2D materials; and (4) evaluation of current progress in computational simulations and perspectives for future development.     

Conductance-based chemical sensing in metallic nanowires and metal-semiconductor nanostructures

Conductance-based chemical sensing in metal-semiconductor nanostructures and all-metal nanowires of atomic dimensions is garnering increased interest. Adsorbed gas molecules can migrate to a metal-semiconductor junction, thereby shifting the magnitude of the Schottky barrier and altering electrical impedance, whereas atomic scale metal junctions can sensitively report the presence of adsorbates through their impact on ballistic electron transport.     

Nanophononics: phonon engineering in nanostructures and nanodevices

Phonons, i.e., quanta of lattice vibrations, manifest themselves practically in all electrical, thermal and optical phenomena in semiconductors and other material systems. Reduction of the size of electronic devices below the acoustic phonon mean free path creates a new situation for phonon propagation and interaction. From one side, it complicates heat removal from the downscaled devices. From the other side, it opens up an exciting opportunity for engineering phonon spectrum in nanostructured materials and achieving enhanced operation of nanodevices. This paper reviews the development of the phonon engineering concept and discusses its device applications. The review focuses on methods of tuning the phonon spectrum in acoustically mismatched nano- and heterostructures in order to change the phonon thermal conductivity and electron mobility. New approaches for the electron-phonon scattering rates suppression, formation of the phonon stopbands and phonon focusing are also discussed. The last section addresses the phonon engineering issues in biological and hybrid bio-inorganic nanostructures.     

The theory of quasistatic nanomachines

The motion of a system of several bodies linked by bonds of variable length in a spatially periodic potential is studied. It is shown that quasistatic periodic variations of the system parameters in time can induce translational motion of the system in the absence of directed external forces, or motion in the direction opposite to that of an external force. To provide for the possibility of the induced translational motion, the system parameters (e.g., bond lengths) must vary in the space of these parameters according to closed trajectories containing one or several closed bifurcation sets of the given system. The bifurcation sets for some model systems are found. It is demonstrated that the proposed mechanism of the translational motion induction can be realized, in particular, by applying an alternating elliptically polarized electric field to particles of nanometer dimensions occurring on a chemically inert crystal (e.g., graphite) surface.     

Semiconductor nanostructures engineering: Pyramidal quantum dots

Pyramidal quantum dots (QDs) grown in inverted recesses have demonstrated over the years an extraordinary uniformity, high spectral purity and strong design versatility. We discuss recent results, also in view of the Stranski–Krastanow competition and give evidence for strong perspectives in quantum information applications for this system. We examine the possibility of generating entangled and indistinguishable photons, together with the need for the implementation of a, regrettably still missing, strategy for electrical control.     

Optical negative refraction by four-wave mixing in thin metallic nanostructures

The law of refraction first derived by Snellius and later introduced as the Huygens-Fermat principle, states that the incidence and refracted angles of a light wave at the interface of two different materials are related to the ratio of the refractive indices in each medium. Whereas all natural materials have a positive refractive index and therefore exhibit refraction in the positive direction, artificially engineered negative index metamaterials have been shown capable of bending light waves negatively. Such a negative refractive index is the key to achieving a perfect lens that is capable of imaging well below the diffraction limit. However, negative index metamaterials are typically lossy, narrow band, and require complicated fabrication processes. Recently, an alternative approach to obtain negative refraction from a very thin nonlinear film has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated in the microwave region. However, such approaches use phase conjugation, which makes optical implementations difficult. Here, we report a simple but different scheme to demonstrate experimentally nonlinear negative refraction at optical frequencies using four-wave mixing in nanostructured metal films. The refractive index can be designed at will by simply tuning the wavelengths of the interacting waves, which could have potential impact on many important applications, such as superlens imaging.     

Computational and experimental study of high-speed impact of metallic Taylor cylinders

High-speed impact of metallic Taylor cylinders is investigated computationally and experimentally. On the computational side, a modular explicit finite element hydrocode based on updated Lagrangian formulation is developed. A non-classical contour integration is employed to calculate the nodal forces in the constant strain axisymmetric triangular elements. Cell and nodal averaging of volumetric strain formulations are implemented on different mesh architectures to reduce the incompressibility constraints and eliminate volumetric locking. On the experimental side, a gas gun is designed and manufactured, and Taylor impact tests of cylinders made of several metallic materials are performed. Computational predictions of the deformed profiles of Taylor cylinders and experimentally determined deformed profiles are compared for verification purposes and to infer conclusions on the effect of yield strength, strain hardening and strain rate on the material response. The article also compares the performance of different plastic flow stress models that are incorporated into the hydrocode with the experimental results and results provided by previously reported simulations and tests.     

Enhanced magnetic field sensitivity of spin-dependent transport in cluster-assembled metallic nanostructures

The emerging field of spintronics explores the many possibilities offered by the prospect of using the spin of the electrons for fast, nanosized electronic devices. The effect of magnetization acting on a current is the essence of giant or tunnel magnetoresistance. Although such spintronics effects already find technological applications, much of the underlying physics remains to be explored. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the importance of spin mixing in metallic nanostructures. Here we show that magnetic clusters embedded in a metallic matrix exhibit a giant magnetic response of more than 500% at low temperature, using a recently developed thermoelectric measurement. This method eliminates the dominating resistivity component of the magnetic response and thus reveals an intrinsic spin-dependent process: the conduction-electron spin precession about the exchange field as the electron crosses the clusters, giving rise to a spin-mixing mechanism with strong field dependence. This effect appears sensibly only in the smallest clusters, that is, at the level of less than 100 atoms per cluster.     

Patterning the tips of optical fibers with metallic nanostructures using nanoskiving

Convenient and inexpensive methods to pattern the facets of optical fibers with metallic nanostructures would enable many applications. This communication reports a method to generate and transfer arrays of metallic nanostructures to the cleaved facets of optical fibers. The process relies on nanoskiving, in which an ultramicrotome, equipped with a diamond knife, sections epoxy nanostructures coated with thin metallic films and embedded in a block of epoxy. Sectioning produces arrays of nanostructures embedded in thin epoxy slabs, which can be transferred manually to the tips of optical fibers at a rate of approximately 2 min(-1), with 88% yield. Etching the epoxy matrices leaves arrays of nanostructures supported directly by the facets of the optical fibers. Examples of structures transferred include gold crescents, rings, high-aspect-ratio concentric cylinders, and gratings of parallel nanowires.     

Ion-beam engineering of Co/TiO2 multilayer nanostructures

Multilayer structures consisting of Co/TiO₂ bilayers with partial layer thicknesses varied within several nanometers and a total thickness of up to 100 nm were obtained using the ion-beam sputter deposition method and studied using a combination of analytical techniques. It is shown that, in [Co(2 nm)/TiO₂(2 nm)]₁₅, [Co(2 nm)/TiO₂(4 nm)]₁₅, and [Co(4 nm)/TiO₂(4 nm)]₁₂ structures, the mean-square surface roughness does not exceed 0.9 nm, all partial layers are continuous, all interfaces are plane-parallel and sharp, and the characteristics of each layer are close to those of the corresponding bulk material. The [Co(2 nm)/TiO₂(4 nm)]₁₅ structure is characterized by the maximum transparency (exceeding 7% in he visible spectral range. The properties of these multilayer films are promising for applications in magnetooptics and spintronics. The surfaces of [Co(4 nm)/TiO₂(2 nm)]₁₅ and [Co(6 nm)/TiO₂(2 nm)]₁₂ structures have mean-square roughnesses above 1 nm and exhibit percolations with a surface density of up to 5 × 10⁷ cm^?2. A decrease in the partial layer thickness below 2 nm leads to the mixing of layers, while an increase in the thickness of individual TiO₂ layers above 6 nm leads to significant differences of the optical transmission spectrum from that of the anatase form of TiO₂ and to a decrease in the transparency.     

Large-area pattern transfer of metallic nanostructures on glass substrates via interference lithography

In this paper, we report a simple and effective nanofabrication method for the pattern transfer of metallic nanostructures over a large surface area on a glass substrate. Photoresist (PR) nano-patterns, defined by laser interference lithography, are used as template structures where a metal film of controlled thickness is directly deposited and then transferred onto a glass substrate by the sacrificial etching of the PR inter-layer. The laser interference lithography, capable of creating periodic nano-patterns with good control of their dimensions and shapes over a relatively large area, allows the wafer-scale pattern transfer of metallic nanostructures in a very convenient way. By using the approach, we have successfully fabricated on a glass substrate uniform arrays of hole, grating, and pillar patterns of Ti, Al, and Au in varying pattern periodicities (200 nm-1 μm) over a surface area of up to several cm(2) with little mechanical crack and delamination. Such robust metallic nanostructures defined well on a transparent glass substrate with large pattern coverage will lead to advanced scientific and engineering applications such as microfluidics and nanophotonics.     

Defect engineering of nanostructures: Insights into photoelectrochemical water splitting

Development of long-term and sustainable energy economy is one of the most significant technical challenges facing humanity. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is regarded as the most attractive approach for conversion of solar energy to chemical energy, with H₂ and O₂ as the energy carriers. Defect engineering of photocatalytic materials has been proved effective in improving their performances in PEC water splitting process involving three basic steps, i.e., light absorption, charge transfer/separation, and surface catalytic reaction. In this paper, recent developments in using various techniques to introduce, characterize and regulate defects are summarized, based on which the important roles played by defects are highlighted in the development of high-performance defect engineered photoelectrodes for PEC water splitting application. Moreover, current challenges and future perspectives in the field of defect engineering of nanostructures for photoelectrodes are discussed.     

Nanopatterning the electronic properties of gold surfaces with self-organized superlattices of metallic nanostructures

The self-organized growth of nanostructures on surfaces could offer many advantages in the development of new catalysts, electronic devices and magnetic data-storage media. The local density of electronic states on the surface at the relevant energy scale strongly influences chemical reactivity, as does the shape of the nanoparticles. The electronic properties of surfaces also influence the growth and decay of nanostructures such as dimers, chains and superlattices of atoms or noble metal islands. Controlling these properties on length scales shorter than the diffusion lengths of the electrons and spins (some tens of nanometres for metals) is a major goal in electronics and spintronics. However, to date, there have been few studies of the electronic properties of self-organized nanostructures. Here we report the self-organized growth of macroscopic superlattices of Ag or Cu nanostructures on Au vicinal surfaces, and demonstrate that the electronic properties of these systems depend on the balance between the confinement and the perturbation of the surface states caused by the steps and the nanostructures' superlattice. We also show that the local density of states can be modified in a controlled way by adjusting simple parameters such as the type of metal deposited and the degree of coverage.     

Defect engineering in cubic cerium oxide nanostructures for catalytic oxidation

Traditional nanostructured design of cerium oxide catalysts typically focuses on their shape, size, and elemental composition. We report a different approach to enhance the catalytic activity of cerium oxide nanostructures through engineering high density of oxygen vacancy defects in these catalysts without dopants. The defect engineering was accomplished by a low pressure thermal activation process that exploits the nanosize effect of decreased oxygen storage capacity in nanostructured cerium oxides.