Nanotextured surfaces: platform for tailored light-matter interaction and optical sensing

Texturation of material interfaces provides a purely topological mechanism for altering the way a given object interacts with a range of physical phenomena, defined by the relative length-scales of surface features to those of the relevant effects. To this end, propagation control over the nanoscale wavelengths of visible light requires similarly small structural features. This work describes development of methods and techniques for the creation of effective and affordable nanotextured surfaces exhibiting a range of optical functionalities, including anti-reflectance of black silicon semiconductors, bio-compatible silk natural polymer photonic structures, as well as rough noble metal surface-enhanced optical sensing.