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Congratulations on making it to the final week of lecture. This week we will be shedding light on nanoscale materials and photonics. Compared to electrons, photons are difficult things to trap and control with normal materials. Nanomaterials offer completely new approaches to manipulating light. Whether it’s through diffraction, or plasmonics, nanotechnology can provide new capabilities for solid state lasers as well as super resolution microscopes.

Lectures:

Lecture 4.1: Why "nano" plus light (14:44)

Lecture 4.2: Multiple Reflections: Engineering Optical Properties  (11:27)

Lecture 4.3: A Little Bit of Quantum Mechanics  (12:10)

Lecture 4.4: Band Gaps, Excitons and Quantum Confinement (12:52)

Lecture 4.5: Plasmons (10:58)

Lecture 4.6: Propagating and Localized Plasmons and Their Uses (12:42)

Lecture 4.7: Metamaterials: Invisibility Cloaks and More (11:23)

Lecture 4.8: Fabrication of Metamaterials: A Case Study (10:45)

 

Week 4 Lectures 4.1-4.7  (pdf)

Lecture 4.8 (pdf)

Resources:

Demo: Interference of light waves (2:09)

Demo: Total internal reflection (1:14)

Optional Foundational Lectures:

Lecture 4.X: Where Does Light Come From? (27:25)

Lecture 4.Y: Light–Matter Interactions and Blackbody Radiation (25:32) 

Week 4 optional lectures pdf

Small Talk Episode#4: Interview with Spectroscopist Stephen Link (27:46) 

Light scattering by individual plasmonic nanoparticles - Image from the laboratory of Prof. Stephan Link

Single plasmonic nanoparticles scattering - Video from the laboratory of Prof. Stephan Link

Rice Press Release: When aluminum outshines gold  Summary- Learn about why plasmonic properties of aluminum and silver may be more valuable than gold.

Quizzes and Surveys:

'Basic' quizzes are for students seeking a statement of accomplishment.  'In-depth' quizzes are for those seeking a statement of accomplishment with distinction. The in-depth track requires students complete all basic activities plus in-depth activities.

Basic Quiz: Basic Nanophotonics

In-Depth Quiz: In-depth Nanophotonics

Provocative Survey Week 4: Nanophotonics

 

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