Investigation of surface functionalized nanooptical and plasmonic systems for use as bionanosensors

In this project, multipole-particle and plasmonic systems will be designed and optimized. Metallic and dielectric films will be structured with different optical lithographic approaches to assemble plasmonic systems. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of multipole-particles embedded in plasmonic systems open new possibilities for fundamental and applied research in ultrafast nanooptics. Their response to optical and surface plasmon-polariton fields will be studied by Fourier-transform microscopy and temporally resolved interferometric leakage radiation microscopy, respectively. Ultrafast switching of optical properties of multipole-particles and particle systems will be studied, using excitation of interband transitions and adiabatic metallization effects induced by ultrashort laser pulses. In plasmonic systems embedded ordered and random hybrid nanostructures with functionalized surfaces can be applied as novel highly sensitive sensor elements. Of special interest is the study of magnetic dipole interactions, providing unique possibilities for novel low-intensity switching elements and for probing magnetic fields at optical frequencies.