This course will cover the physics and technology of nano-optics and plasmonics and their potential applications in biochemical sensing, super-resolution imaging, optical trapping, light emission, and spectroscopy. The following topics will be covered:
- Maxwell's equations, E&M of metals
- Fresnel's equations, light propagation in periodic media
- Physics of surface plasmon waves
- Metallic waveguides: metal-insulator-metal vs. insulator-metal-insulator
- Optical antennas
- Noble metal nanoparticles: Synthesis, optical properties, and applications
- Optical biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR)
- Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)
- Surface enhanced Infrared Absorption (SEIRA)
- Super-resolution imaging and near-field optical microscopy
- Light transmission through nano-apertures (extraordinary optical transmission)
- Plasmonics at long wavelengths (infrared and terahertz)
- Plasmonics in atomically thick materials
Knowledge of Maxwell's equations, Matlab, or Mathematica coding is suggested but not required.
Gopher Grades is maintained by Social Coding with data from Summer 2017 to Summer 2025 provided by the University in response to a public records request