Developing a Method for Measuring the Optical Scattering of Silica Nanosprings

Nanosprings have been shown to have a variety of applications in medicine, industry and material science due to their unique nano-scale characteristics. Recent developments have vastly improved the ability to produce large quantities of high-quality silica nanosprings, making possible new avenues of research and applications. Current research includes applications in prosthetic-bone interfaces, detection of small quantities of gases, and the development of new composite materials. As such, there is a growing interest in better understanding their properties. The motivation for this work is to develop a method for studying the optical properties of these silica nanosprings. An apparatus for measuring the optical scattering of light off of the nanosprings has been constructed and measurements are ongoing. The first objective is to confirm visual observation of diffraction effects in nanosprings. The apparatus uses a visual microscope, a spectrograph, and illumination by a variety of lamps via fiber optics. A single nanospring is held by a micromanipulator; light (typically white) is then scattered off the spring and collected to produce spectra. This data is then analyzed for diffraction effects.