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朝着光学体制发展。本提案的中心主题是探索在其晶体结构中具有内置自发极化的铁电材料，作为集成光学器件的固态平台。本文特别关注铁电铌酸锂（LiNbO3）和钽酸锂（LiTaO3），这两种材料由于其优异的非线性光学特性和生长成大单晶的能力而成为集成和非线性光学领域的关键材料。铁电畴（即均匀自发极化区域）的现象及其在外力作用下形成的各种形状是许多集成光学应用的关键。然而，即使在今天，领域微工程的过程充其量也只是一门不精确的科学。这主要是由于缺乏对用于控制它们的外力作用下的领域动力学的基本理解。概述了一项全面的研究计划，其中包括使用实时光学探针对铁电材料中的畴现象进行基础新研究，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.