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Photonically active bowtie nanoassemblies with chirality continuum
Prashant Kumar1,2, Thi Vo1,2, Minjeong Cha1,2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Nature
|March 16, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed tunable chiral microparticles with a unique bowtie shape, overcoming the binary view of molecular chirality. These particles enable the creation of advanced optical devices with adjustable polarization properties.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology and Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Optics and Photonics
Background:
- Chirality is typically viewed as a binary property (left/right) in chemistry, despite its continuous mathematical nature.
- A lack of stable chemical structures with continuously tunable chirality limits advancements in chiral material applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize nanostructured microparticles exhibiting a continuum of chirality.
- To explore the potential of these tunable chiral particles in creating advanced optical devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of anisotropic bowtie-shaped nanostructured microparticles using self-limited assembly.
- Characterization of particle geometry (twist angle, pitch, width, thickness, length) and chirality.
- Spectroscopic analysis of circular dichroism (CD) peaks and polarization rotation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a continuum of chirality in bowtie nanoassemblies, tunable by adjusting particle dimensions.
- Observed strong circular dichroism peaks arising from both absorptive and scattering effects.
- Correlated chirality measures with spectral positions of CD peaks and utilized variable polarization rotation for metasurface printing.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructured bowtie microparticles offer a practical platform for realizing continuous chirality in materials.
- These particles enable the development of spectrally tunable metasurfaces with tailored polarization signatures.
- Potential applications include advanced light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices and other photonic technologies.
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