FRG: A Mechanical Signature of the Polarization of Light: The Opto-Mechanical Effect in Glass

FRG：光偏振的机械特征：玻璃中的光机械效应

• 批准号: 0074624
• 负责人: Himanshu Jain
• 金额: $ 56.89万
• 依托单位: Lehigh University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-07-01 至 2005-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0074624&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: FRG; Mechanical; Signature; Polarization; Light

Numerous applications of advanced photonics require conversion of an optical signal to mechanical signal. Currently such signal transformation is accomplished only with the intermediate use of appropriate electronics at a significant cost and loss of signal quality. The recent report of the opto-mechanical effect (OME) in a chalcogenide (AsSe) glass film predicts the possibility of faithfully transforming optical information into mechanical signal, bypassing the intervention of electronics. The OME also shows potential use in nano-devices such as nano- actuators, nano-sensors, nano-switches etc. Clearly, the discovery of OME has potential of starting a new area of materials science and make significant impact on technology. However, at present even the defining parameters and the fundamental origin of OME are not known. They are the subject of this Focused Research Group (FRG) proposal. It is built on the initial success of a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) provided by NSF less than a year ago for experiments at Lehigh, in collaboration with the Cambridge group that discovered the effect. From the project, an atomistic understanding of OME by combining theoretical simulations with the experimental observations of light-induced changes in the electronic and physical structures of glass, and the direct observations of the effect as a function of various parameters will be obtained. Three model chalcogenide glass systems will be studied, with the intent of using the new data for developing superior compositions with stronger effect and faster kinetics. The OME is a vector optical phenomenon (depending on the E vector), which is superimposed on scalar light-induced changes in the structure of glass. Using an improvised setup, the PIs will establish the microscopic origin of the former by polarized x-rays from a synchrotron. Naturally the understanding of scalar effects will be a valuable byproduct, which will help clarify various other light-induced phenomena in similar glasses, such as photo-darkening, photo-expansion, photo-melting, photo-plasticity, photo-crystallization, etc. This project will study a newly discovered phenomenon, the optomechnical effect, in glasses. This new phenomenon has potential to radically improve the quality of telecommunications. In addition, it has potential applications in extremely small devices. The project combines complementary expertise of two experimental groups (H. Jain at Lehigh University and S.R. Elliott at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom) and one theory group (D.A. Drabold at Ohio University) as Principal Investigators. It will also provide to several students and postdocs an unusual opportunity for international, interdisciplinary materials research integrating experiments with theory. The students will periodically meet and exchange places and conduct work under the supervision of the three PIs. This Focussed Research Group project is co-funded by the Ceramics Program in the Division of Materials Research and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.***

先进光子学的许多应用都需要将光信号转换为机械信号。 目前，这种信号转换只能通过适当的电子器件的中间使用来完成，成本很高并且信号质量会受到损失。 最近关于硫族化物 (AsSe) 玻璃薄膜中的光机械效应 (OME) 的报告预测了将光学信息忠实地转换为机械信号、绕过电子设备干预的可能性。 OME 还显示出在纳米器件（如纳米执行器、纳米传感器、纳米开关等）中的潜在用途。显然，OME 的发现有可能开启材料科学的新领域并对技术产生重大影响。 然而，目前甚至 OME 的定义参数和基本起源尚不清楚。 它们是重点研究小组 (FRG) 提案的主题。它是建立在不到一年前美国国家科学基金会与发现该效应的剑桥小组合作为利哈伊大学的实验提供的小额探索性研究资助（SGER）的初步成功的基础上的。 通过该项目，通过将理论模拟与光引起的玻璃电子和物理结构变化的实验观察相结合，以及对作为各种参数函数的效应的直接观察，将获得对 OME 的原子理解。将研究三种模型硫系玻璃系统，目的是利用新数据开发具有更强效果和更快动力学的优质组合物。 OME是一种矢量光学现象（取决于E矢量），它叠加在标量光引起的玻璃结构变化上。 使用临时装置，PI 将通过来自同步加速器的偏振 X 射线确定前者的微观起源。 当然，对标量效应的理解将是一个有价值的副产品，这将有助于阐明类似玻璃中的各种其他光致现象，例如光变暗、光膨胀、光熔化、光塑性、光结晶等。该项目将研究眼镜中新发现的现象，即光机械效应。 这种新现象有可能从根本上提高电信质量。 此外，它在极小型设备中也有潜在的应用。 该项目结合了两个实验小组（里哈伊大学的 H. Jain 和英国剑桥大学的 S.R. Elliott）和一个理论小组（俄亥俄大学的 D.A. Drabold）作为首席研究员的互补专业知识。它还将为一些学生和博士后提供一个难得的机会，将实验与理论相结合的国际跨学科材料研究。 学生们将定期见面、交换位置，并在三位 PI 的监督下开展工作。 该重点研究小组项目由材料研究部陶瓷项目和数学和物理科学局多学科活动办公室共同资助。***