Room temperature self-assembly of mixed nanoparticles into complex material systems and devices

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel room temperature method for self-assembling mixed nanoparticles into complex silica-based materials, enabling integration of functional organic dyes and nanodiamonds into photonic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a new room temperature self-assembly process for creating complex silica nanomaterials with integrated functional nanoparticles.

Findings

Successful fabrication of silica microwires with organic dyes at room temperature

Integration of single photon emitting nanodiamonds into silica structures

Potential for advanced photonic device development

Abstract

The ability to manufacture nanomaterials with complex and structured composition using otherwise incompatible materials increasingly underpins the next generation of technologies. This is translating into growing efforts integrating a wider range of materials onto key technology platforms1 - in photonics, one such platform is silica, a passive, low loss and robust medium crucial for efficient optical transport2. Active functionalisation, either through added gain or nonlinearity, is mostly possible through the integration of active materials3, 4. The high temperatures used in manufacturing of silica waveguides, unfortunately, make it impossible to presently integrate many organic and inorganic species critical to achieving this extended functionality. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of novel waveguides and devices made up of complex silica based materials using the self-assembly of nanoparticles. In particular, the room temperature fabrication of silica microwires integrated with organic dyes (Rhodamine B) and single photon emitting nanodiamonds is presented.