Control of photon transport properties in nanocomposite nanowires

TL;DR

This paper presents the design and characterization of active nanocomposite nanowires with controlled photon transport properties, emphasizing light confinement, nanoparticle effects, and optical losses for nanophotonics applications.

Contribution

It introduces new active nanowire and nanofiber systems with embedded inorganic nanocrystals, enabling control over light-scattering and refractive index properties.

Findings

Nanocomposite nanowires exhibit tunable light-confinement properties.

Incorporation of nanoparticles affects photon transport and optical losses.

Optical loss mechanisms are characterized for device optimization.

Abstract

Active nanowires and nanofibers can be realized by the electric-field induced stretching of polymer solutions with sufficient molecular entanglements. The resulting nanomaterials are attracting an increasing attention in view of their application in a wide variety of fields, including optoelectronics, photonics, energy harvesting, nanoelectronics, and microelectromechanical systems. Realizing nanocomposite nanofibers is especially interesting in this respect. In particular, methods suitable for embedding inorganic nanocrystals in electrified jets and then in active fiber systems allow for controlling light-scattering and refractive index properties in the realized fibrous materials. We here report on the design, realization, and morphological and spectroscopic characterization of new species of active, composite nanowires and nanofibers for nanophotonics. We focus on the properties of light-confinement and photon transport along the nanowire longitudinal axis, and on how these depend on nanoparticle incorporation. Optical losses mechanisms and their influence on device design and performances are also presented and discussed.