Docket #: S14-086
Nanoscale optical tomography with cathodoluminescence spectroscopy
Stanford researchers have developed a novel tomographic technique, cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopic tomography, to probe optical properties in 3D with nanometer-scale spatial and spectral resolution. These tomograms can locate regions of efficient cathodoluminescence across visible and near- infrared wavelengths in three dimensions, with contributions from material luminescence and radiative decay of electromagnetic eigenmodes.
This CL tomography technique has been demonstrated by reconstructing a 3D metal-dielectric metamaterial resonator, illustrating how the technique can be applied to almost any materials system to achieve label-free, nanoscale 3D visualization of light-matter interactions.
Figure
Figure description - SEM CL Set-up
Stage of Research
Applications
- Photovoltaics, may enable determination of the 3D distribution of defect states
- Light emitting diodes or other semiconductor-based devices, will allow 3D visualization of radiative recombination centers
- Bio-imaging, may enable label-free 3D imaging of nanostructures
- Quantum computing
Advantages
- 3D Imaging - Image radiative optical properties with nanoscale spatial and spectral resolution in 3D
- High resolution afforded by cathodoluminescence combined with 3D imaging capabilities enabled by tomographic reconstruction
- Resolution at least 10-100 times better than the diffraction limit
- Simple computational methods for reconstruction
- Does not require labels (i.e. fluorescent molecules used in conventional super-resolution biological imaging)
- Improvements over STEM EELS tomography:
- Signal is fundamentally different/complementary
- Higher spectral resolution
- SEM -> wider range of samples, cheaper instrumentation
Publications
- Atre, Ashwin C., Benjamin JM Brenny, Toon Coenen, Aitzol García-Etxarri, Albert Polman, and Jennifer A. Dionne. "Nanoscale optical tomography with cathodoluminescence spectroscopy." Nature nanotechnology 10, no. 5 (2015): 429-436.
Patents
- Published Application: WO2016007208
- Published Application: 20170052130
- Issued: 10,551,330 (USA)
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