Collaborative Research: Tunable Nanoscale Ferroelectric Photonic Crystals: Materials and Fabrication, Photonic Crystal Structures, and Devices

Suny At Albany, Albany NY

Investigators

Abstract

Objective: This program uses new advances in ultrathin ferroelectric-film fabrication, nano-poling, and simulation methods for nonlinear-optical devices, to realize new tunable photonic-crystal devices. Intellectual Merit: This photonics program will investigate a new class of tunable second-order optical susceptibility nano-photonic device, by nano-structuring ferroelectric thin-film photonic crystals to tailor their optical response. The main challenges are ultrahigh-resolution poling, electrode-structure design, and thin-film device implementation. Key elements are nano-fabrication methods, design and testing of the tunable crystals, and two model-device fabrications. Its transformative aspect arises from its nanometer scale, providing unprecedented control of phase matching due to light confinement. Broader Impacts: This program involves photonic devices, an area with broad impact for sensors in medical and biological science, data transmission and processing, and metrology. The research will be integrated into the education mission of Columbia and the University at Albany to foster an interdisciplinary examination of artificial nonlinear metamaterials and to enable the two groups with a strong history of interactions to collaborate. This work will involve students? interaction and travel to their partner universities. The program will recruit diverse student collaborators. Recruitment will be done via five yearly outreach talks to undergrads at Columbia and Albany and participation in Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at Columbia. The project will enable students to collaborate with the Nanocenter at Brookhaven National Laboratory, which one of the PIs was the founding director, and with the Ion-Beam Facility at Albany. This program involves overseas research collaboration with University of Bonn (Soergel) and University College London (Panoiu). This project is jointly funded by the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices Program (EPMD) in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) and by the Electronic and Photonic Materials Program (EPM) in the Division of Materials Research (DMR).