PHOTONIC NANOSTRUCTURES
WITH CONTROLLABLE AND
MULTIFUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES
Simion Astilean
Babes-Bolyai University
Faculty of Physics
Molecular Spectroscopy Group
Cluj-Napoca
Current challenge of nanofabrication
To control: the size, shape, composition, spatial
organization and chemical (biological) function of
nanostructures
Artificial nanostructures meet
biomolecules
Main points of our research
Developing an experimentally inexpensive method of
controlled nanofabrication:
The method is based on self-assembling process and nanosphere
lithography and is able to fabricate large-area of highly ordered and
shape-size-controlled nanostructures.
Fabrication of multifunctional photonic nanostructures:
Periodic arrays of noble-metal nanoparticles,
Periodic arrays of nanoholes in metallic films,
Photonic crystals,
Self-assemblies of functionalized polymer nanospheres,
Etc.
Using light (photons) to extract and process information
on the nanoscale:
Optical bio-chemo-sensing,
Ultrasensitive spectroscopic analysis,
Photonics application,
Etc.
Work on progress
Starting with self-assembly
of polystyrene nanospheres
SEM pictures of self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene nanospheres
AFM and SEM pictures of self-assembled multi-layers of polystyrene
nanospheres
Using self-assemblies of polystyrene nanospheres
as templates for nanolithography
1. Regular Arrays of Noble-Metal
Nanoparticles
2. Regular Nanoscale Hole-Arrays
in Noble-Metal Films
Applications
Nanostructures for optical chemo-bio-sensing
applications
Plasmon
Light
Light
Metal
Linker
FG
Biomolecule
Plasmon
100 nm
Nanosized optical biosensors based on surface plasmons resonances (SPR)
Biomedical
Conventional
Advantages of this
applications
instruments
approach
receptor-ligand interactions;
DNA hybridization;
enzyme-substrate interaction
protein conformation studies
label-free immunoassay;
high-throughput screening in
pharmaceutical industry;
uses expensive sensor chips;
limited reuse capacity;
complex chemistry for ligand or
protein immobilization
nanostructured support is cheap
and easily synthesize;
can be coated with various
proteins or protein-ligand
complexes by charge adsorption;
monitored in any UV-vis
spectrophotometre;
Extinction
Extinction
Surface Plasmon Resonances
500
600
700
Wavelength [nm]
800
500
600
700
Wavelength [nm]
800
Nanostructures for photonic applications
1


2

f d
E (r )  i
2
 ( )
f
Controlling the propagation, emission and detection of light on the nanoscale
Novel spectroscopic tools
for ultrasensitive analysis
Novel class of
optical materials
Novel light
sources
Single Molecules Spectroscopic Fingerprint
Photonic Crystals
Zero-Threshold Lasers
Fluorescence decay control
Photonic Integrated Circuits
Single - Photon Light
Sources
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)
Telecommunication Devices
Surface Enhanced IR Absorption (SEIRA)
Quantum Information
Devices
SERS Results
514 nm
633 nm
Laser lines
633 nm
Intensity [au]
Extinction
Rhodamine 6G molecules
514 nm
solid sample
400
600
Wavelength [nm]
800
1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600
-1
Raman shift [cm ]
400
Counts
Fluorescence Decay Control
10
20
Time [ns]
30
Interdisciplinary approach
Required techniques for fabrication, processing and
characterization of nanostructures
Structural
Chemical
Optical
Other
TEM
Surface chemistry*
UV-vis spectroscopy*
Reactive ion etching
AFM
Metal film deposition
XRD
Nanosphere synthesis
and functionalization
Confocal optical
microscopy
Bioconjugation and
linkage
Fluorescence
spectroscopy and
lifetime measurements
Raman spectroscopy*
(microRaman, SERS)
Infrared spectroscopy*
* Our laboratory facilities
Modeling and
Computing techniques*
RMN
EPR
Groups already contacted and interested in
this research
National
International
1. Centrul de Biologie Moleculara (Institutul de
Cercetari Experimentale interdisciplinare al Univ
Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca)
2. Laboratorul de Materiale Nanostructurate
Avansate (INCDTIM, Cluj-Napoca)
3. Catedra de Macromolecule (Univ Tehnica Gh
Asachi, Iasi)
4. Institutul National de Chimie Macromoleculara
P. Poni (Iasi)
5. Centrul de Fizica Plasmei, (Facultatea de Fizica,
Univ. Al I Cuza, Iasi)
1.Prof Sigrid Avrillier, Lasers Physics Laboratories,
Paris University and SOPRA, France
2.Prof Gerard Bidan, Laboratoire d’Electrochimie
Moleculaire et Structures des Interfaces,
DRFMC, CEA, Grenoble, France.
3.Dr Anne Corval and Dr Patrice Baldeck,
Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Physique, Univ
Joseph Fourier Grenoble France
4.Prof Arnulf Materny, School of Engineering and
Science, International University Bremen,
Germany
5. Prof WL Barnes, School of Physics, University of
Exeter, UK
6.Dr Gilad Haran, Single Molecule
Laboratory,Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
7.Dr Victor Weiss, Optronic Center, ELOP
Electrooptics Industries Ltd, Rehovot, Israel
8.Dr Peter Persephonis, University of Patras,
Patras, Greece
We are looking for partners…
Conclusions and Perspectives
This project develops an experimentally
simple technique for controlling the
fabrication of nanostructures.
The fabricated nanostructures have a real
potential for relevant biosensing, photonics
and ultrasensitive spectroscopic
applications.
This method of nanofabrication could be
extended to semiconductors, polymer,
ceramics and magnetic materials.