A mechanically controlled probe that localizes the sample interaction volume to the scale of a few nanometers is the common element of a variety of nanoscale measurement and manipulation techniques, ranging from scanning probe microscopies, such as atomic force (AFM), scanning tunneling (STM), and nearfield optical (NSOM), to sample preparation, manipulation, and electrical probing in conjunction with electron microscopy (SEM). Such probes not only have proven research utility, but are also used in industrial development and process metrology. Leveraging state-of-the-art microfabrication capabilities, we are combining micro- and nano-mechanics with photonics and plasmonics to develop novel types of probes and modalities of nanoscale sensing, imaging, and manipulation for scientific research and nanomanufacturing needs. Current and future research topics include probes with integrated cavity optomechanical motion sensing near the standard quantum limit for fast AFM, and scientific applications such as Casimir Force measurement; probes with nanoscale plasmonic resonators for efficient, high-speed optical nearfield imaging; using optical forces for manipulation such as nanoscale nearfield optical trapping, cavity optomechanical excitation and probes operated by holographic optical tweezers; probes with integrated force readout and haptic interfaces for sample manipulation in SEM. The devices are fabricated at the CNST NanoFab. The projects include significant collaboration opportunities with nanophotonics and nanoplasmonics groups, as well as other researchers in PML and NIST.

 

References

Chae J, An S, Ramer G, Stavila V, Holland G, Yoon Y, Talin AA, Allendorf M, Aksyuk VA, Centrone A: Nanophotonic Atomic Force Microscope Transducers Enable Chemical Composition and Thermal Conductivity Measurements at the Nanoscale. Nano Letters, 2017. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b02404

Roxworthy BJ, Aksyuk VA: Nanomechanical motion transduction with a scalable localized gap plasmon architecture. Nature Communications 7: 13746, 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13746

Brian J. Roxworthy and Vladimir A. Aksyuk, "Electrically tunable plasmomechanical oscillators for localized modulation, transduction, and amplification," Optica 5, 71-79 (2018)

T. Michels and V. Aksyuk, "Optical Probe for Nondestructive Wafer-Scale Characterization of Photonic Elements," in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 29, no. 8, pp. 643-646, 15 April 15, 2017, doi: 10.1109/LPT.2017.2660439. 

key words

MEMS and NEMS; Scanning probe microscopy; Nanomanipulation; Cavity optomechanics; Optical tweezers; Plasmonic resonators; Atomic force microscopy; Nearfield scanning optical microscopy; Nanotechnology;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants