Material Research through Thermal Evanescent Waves

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24244046
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Condensed matter physics I
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KOMIYAMA Susumu 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 特任研究員 (00153677)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IKUSHIMA Kenji 東京農工大学, 大学院工学研究院, 准教授 (20334302)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 熱励起エバネセント波 / 近接場テラヘルツ波 / 表面フォノンポラリトン / 超高感度赤外光検出器 / 近接場光学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Any material surface supports electromagnetic evanescent waves due to thermal motion of conduction electrons or ion cores. Here, we visualize thermal evanescent waves with unprecedented high spatial resolution, by incorporating a ultra-highly sensitive THz detectors in a near-field THz microscope. While revealing new aspects of matters, we also put forward further improvement of the equipment.
In polar crystals, importance of surface phonon polaritons is confirmed and the role of tip-surface coupling is clarified. In narrow metal wires evanescent waves are locally induced by electrical currents, demonstrating novel nano-thermometry. Preliminary measurements on three-dimensional topological insulator (Bi2Se3) and multi-layered grapheme confirm the existence of evanescent waves, indicating physical importance of measurements at low temperatures. Performance of CSIPs has been continuously improved during this study, by which most of the measurements were made possible.

Free Research Field

物理学