Ultraviolet Plasmonics

Research into plasmonics investigates the strong interaction of light with free electrons in metallic structures. Localized surface plasmon resonances in metallic nanostructures exhibit locally concentrated strong fields and photogenerated hot electrons. Most research in nanoplasmonics has focused on applications in the visible and near infrared, because the metals principally used (gold and silver) operate there. However, there is growing interest to extend plasmonics into the ultraviolet spectral region, for applications including enhanced sensing of analytes, accelerated photo-degradation of toxins, and efficient photocatalytic reactions. Ultraviolet nanoplasmonics requires the identification and use of new metals that may be structured at nanometer dimensions to exhibit plasmonic resonances in the UV while remaining environmentally stable. This talk will introduce our work on UV plasmonics, starting with an overview of theoretical investigations identifying candidate UV plasmonic metals, in collaboration with researchers from Univ. de Cantabria. The talk will emphasize collaborative experimental work on the fabrication and modeling of Ga and Rh nanoparticles with researchers at Duke Univ. and Al nanostructures with researchers at Rice Univ., culminating in demonstrations of each of the applications listed above.

Dr. Henry O. Everitt is a member of the DoD senior executive service (ST) who serves as a chief scientist in the Army’s Aviation & Missile RD&E Center and is the Army’s principal subject matter expert in optical sciences. He is an experimental physicist who specializes in the spectroscopic investigation of plasmonic nanostructures, wide bandgap semiconductors, gas phase molecular dynamics, and terahertz imaging. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Duke Univ. in 1990, created major basic research initiatives in nanotechnology, engineered electromagnetic structures, and quantum information at the Army Research Office, authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, mentored more than 60 student researchers through various adjunct faculty appointments, and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, Optical Society of America, and the Army Research Laboratory (Emeritus).