All optical interrogation of semiconductor nanowires: photonics at the nanoscale

Dr. Peter J. Reece

School of Physics, University of New South Wales

3:30 pm Friday, 20 May 2011, EN101 Lecture Theatre (EN Building), Hawthorn.

The demonstration of optical micomanipulation of semiconductor nanowires has enabled new opportunities in nano-scale photonic assembly [1] and scanning probe microscopy [2]. Flexibility in orienting, manipulating and interrogating complex nanoscale objects and compatibility with novel microscopy and spectroscopy techniques provides a powerful platform for investigating nanophotonic interactions.

In this talk I will discuss our recent work on optical trapping and spectroscopic characterization of luminescent InP nanowires[3].  The motivation for this research is to interrogate the photo-excitation, emission and light guiding properties of semiconductor nanowires in order to understand how geometry, composition and environmental factors affect their performance as optoelectronic components; and to explore optical interactions between small numbers of these nano-scale objects in simple arrangements to intimate how they can be used as elementary building blocks for creating integrated photonic devices.
 

1.   Agarwal, R., et al., Manipulation and assembly of nanowires with holographic optical traps. Optics Express, 2005. 13(22): p. 8906-8912.
2.   Nakayama, Y., et al., Tunable nanowire nonlinear optical probe. Nature, 2007. 447(7148): p. 1098-U8.
3.   Reece, P.J., et al., Combined optical trapping and microphotoluminescence of single InP nanowires. Applied Physics Letters, 2009. 95(10): p. 101109.

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