NSF Materials World Network: Creating Optoelectronic Materials and Devices Inside Microstructured Optical Fibers
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Optoelectronics Research Ctr (closed)
Abstract
The development of optical fibres led directly to the data communications revolution of the late 20th century and are now impacting many other fields from remote sensing to biomedicine. This impact is growing in part because of rapid advances in active devices for which the fibre serves not merely as a passive waveguide, but as a medium to directly modulate, generate, or otherwise manipulate light. As a result of this versatility, fibres form key components of systems in almost any applications that use light. In parallel with these breakthroughs in photonics, the computer and microelectronics industries has seen exponential growth every 18 months since the 1960's of the performance to price ratio of transistors on CPU and DRAM chips, with commensurate improvements in optoelectronic components such as the visible lasers used in DVD players, and the infrared laser diodes used to generate and modulate light for data communications in optical fibres. The crystalline semiconductors upon which all microelectronics is based, namely silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide and many others, are familiar to almost every scientist and engineer. The advanced technological fields represented by fibre optics that are based on very long, very thin strands of glass and microelectronics based on planar chips fabricated by lithography, are typically integrated to create communication network systems by using intermediate optics and packaging. However, the technology we are developing allows crystalline semiconductor structures made from silicon and germanium directly inside the optical fibre itself. This technique utilises a deposition process similar to that used for modern planar electronic devices and so opens up the possibility for directly combining the light guiding capabilities of optical fibres with the exceptional capabilities of semiconductors for manipulating light and electrons. This suggests that many of the functions currently performed by planar optoelectronics might now be integrated directly inside the fibre itself, and that many new semiconductor devices that cannot be realised in a conventional planar geometry may now become possible. Advanced technological applications demand high performance devices, which in turn require exceptional materials; our efforts focus on the fundamental materials research and development necessary to move this innovation beyond the laboratory to next generation photonic devices and systems.
Publications
Healy N.
(2009)
Simultaneous tapering and crystallisation of silicon core optical fibres
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Healy N
(2009)
Large mode area silicon microstructured fiber with robust dual mode guidance.
in Optics express
Lagonigro L.
(2009)
Wavelength-dependent loss measurements in polysilicon modified optical fibres
in Optics InfoBase Conference Papers
Healy N
(2010)
Tapered silicon optical fibers.
in Optics express
Mehta P
(2010)
Nonlinear transmission properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon core optical fibers.
in Optics express
Baril NF
(2010)
High-pressure chemical deposition for void-free filling of extreme aspect ratio templates.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £395,208 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/J004863/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2012 |
End | 04/2015 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £430,917 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/I035307/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2012 |
End | 06/2015 |
Description | Penn State/ORC |
Organisation | Penn State University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The diversity and strength of experience in chemistry, optical materials, and optoelectronic devices provided by the cross-Atlantic collaboration has enabled the filing of joint patents, publication in high profile journals together and the results publicized on the web and in trade journals and disseminated via the Worldwide University Network of which both Penn State and Southampton are founder members. There have been extensive, extended visits to each others labs on the part of the students and PI's. The scientific benefits of the interaction are clear: this forefront research depends heavily on capabilities on both sides of the Atlantic. The collaboration strengthened ties between often disparate disciplines and provide a rich and exciting international experience for graduate and undergraduate students. |
Collaborator Contribution | As above |
Impact | Numerous journal and conference papers; the filing of joint patents; collaborative going NSF/EPSRC further funding; personnel exchange. The multidisciplinary nature of the research includes high pressure chemistry, optical materials, photonic and optoelectronic device physics and technology. |