Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 9:00pm

Localized surface plasmons can induce optical field enhancement on rough metal surfaces, nanoparticles, or designed nanostructures. The resulting intense localized fields have a multitude of applications including surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), chemical sensors, photovoltaics, medicine and photonic circuits. We directly interrogate optical field enhancement on nanoparticles and nanostructures using femtosecond laser pulses and photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). The enhancement in photoelectron yield from nanoparticles, nanogratings, and nanohole arrays, illuminated with 400 and 800 nm femtosecond pulses, are found to be factors of 102 to 103 times greater than that produced by flat metal substrates. Using scanning electron microscopy, PEEM images are correlated with detailed nanostructure and particle topology. Metal nanostructures, created by focused ion beam lithography, can be designed for applications or as sources for intense ultrafast electron pulses. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) results are used to understand and predict experimental PEEM results, from lithographically produced nanostructures, under various excitation geometries and laser polarizations. The combination of PEEM and fs two-photon laser excitation yields an imaging technique of both high-spatial and high-temporal resolution. Results from initial time-resolved PEEM imaging will be presented.

Speaker: 

Prof Wayne Hess

Institution: 

PNNL

Location: 

NS2 2201