Using Light to Direct the Ordered Growth of Inorganic Material

Research Overview

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A team of researchers, including Resnick Fellow Madeline Meier, have been investigating the use of light to direct the ordered growth of inorganic material with sub-micron resolution. The team has investigated the optical mechanism behind this spontaneous, ordered phototropic growth, showing that the self-organization of the material is directed by cooperative light scattering and absorption in the near-field. The results can be found in their recent paper, "Assessing Effects of Near-Field Synergistic Light Absorption on Ordered Inorganic Phototropic Growth."

Scientific Achievement

We demonstrated spontaneous, ordered inorganic phototropic growth on wavelength length scales.

Representative scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) of experimentally generated Se–Te deposits, grown with linearly polarized λavg = 934 nm illumination, without spatial constraint (a) and with areal constraint to the indicated circular diameter (b–f). Computer simulations of deposit morphologies generated via an optically based growth model (g–l) under the same input illumination and geometric confinement conditions as the empirical data in the above row. Light absorption profiles of the simulated morphologies (m-r).

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Representative scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) of experimentally generated Se–Te deposits, grown with linearly polarized λavg = 934 nm illumination, without spatial constraint (a) and with areal constraint to the indicated circular diameter (b–f). Computer simulations of deposit morphologies generated via an optically based growth model (g–l) under the same input illumination and geometric confinement conditions as the empirical data in the above row. Light absorption profiles of the simulated morphologies (m-r).

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Significance and Impact

• Our study revealed the optical basis for emergent growth.
• We demonstrated that self-organization is directed by cooperative light scattering and synergistic absorption.
• Results might help direct the development of this technique for large-scale manufacturing of tailored materials

Technical Details

• We performed light directed electrochemical synthesis of semiconducting Se-Te with conformal illumination on a PMMA patterned substrate.
• Modeling was done to confirm the optical mechanism, using combined simulations of light absorption (FDTD) and growth (Monte Carlo).

Azhar I. Carim⁺, Madeline C. Meier⁺, Kathleen M. Kennedy, Matthias H. Richter, Kathryn R. Hamann and Nathan S. Lewis., Assessing Effects of Near-Field Synergistic Light Absorption on Ordered Inorganic Phototropic Growth, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021 143 (10), 3693 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c13085

Contact: Nate Lewis