NER: Photon Torque Nanomotor Driver

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal was received in response to NSE, NSF 02-148. This one-year project will explore the novel use of circularly polarized laser light to deliver torque from photon angular momentum to the rotational motion of a molecular chromophore. The net effect of this transfer is to extract electromagnetic energy from the laser light, effctively converting it into mechanical energy manifested as unidirectional rotary motion of a motor on the nanometer scale of a single molecule. This exploratory research is a step in the direction towards the actual production of true nanoscale devices. The project provides excellent graduate student training in spectroscopy, optics, molecular dynamics, and mass spectrometry as applied to powering molecular scale devices. The project is jointly supported by the Divisions of Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Research.