Domain Microengineered Ferroelectrics for Novel Chip-size Integrated Electro-optic Devices

随着光纤网络和处理光子的集成光学设备的出现，通信的未来显然正在向光学领域发展。该提案的中心主题是探索铁电材料，其晶体结构中具有内置的自发极化，作为集成光学器件的固态平台。特别是，该建议集中在铁电铌酸锂（LiNbO3）和钽酸锂（LiTaO3），由于其优异的非线性光学特性和生长为大单晶的能力，它们已成为集成和非线性光学中的关键材料。铁电畴（均匀自发极化的区域）现象及其在外力作用下形成不同形状的图案是许多集成光学应用的关键。然而，领域微工程的过程，即使在今天仍然是一门不精确的科学。这主要是由于对外力作用下的电畴动力学缺乏基本的了解。本文概述了一个全面的研究计划，包括利用实时光学探针对铁电材料中电畴现象进行新的基础研究，研究微工程铁电畴的新技术，以及将这些知识应用于设计和制造集成在单个铁电芯片上的具有前所未有的扫描和聚焦性能的新型电光器件。

With the advent of fiber-optic networks and integrated optical devices that process photons, the future in communications is clearly moving towards the optical regime. The central theme of this proposal is to explore ferroelectric materials, which possess a built-in spontaneous polarization in their crystal structure, as a solid state platform for integrated optical devices. In particular, this proposal focuses on ferroelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO3 ) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3 ) which have emerged as key materials in integrated and nonlinear optics due to their excellent nonlinear optical properties and the ability to be grown as large single crystals. The phenomena of ferroelectric domains (which are regions of uniform spontaneous polarization) and their patterning into diverse shapes by external forces is the key to many integrated optics applications. However, the process of domain microengineering, remains at best an inexact science even today. This is principally due to the lack of a fundamental understanding of domain dynamics under external forces that are used to control them.A comprehensive research plan is outlined which encompasses fundamental new studies of thedomain phenomenon in ferroelectric materials using real-time optical probes, investigation of new techniques for microengineering ferroelectric domains, and the application of this knowledge towards the design and fabrication of novel electro-optic devices with unprecedented scanning and focusing performances integrated on a single ferroelectric chip.