SBIR Phase I: Novel Nonlinear Optical Films For Ultrafast Photonics

这个小企业创新研究计划是开发一种新的技术，用于制造有机非线性光学（NLO）复合薄膜，是理想的光子学。 可以实现光调制、开关、频率转换和其他光信号处理的前所未有的性能：更小的器件尺寸、更低的驱动电压等。 这项突破性的技术在光通信和信息处理领域具有巨大的商业潜力。所提出的薄膜技术利用了已知具有最高NLO特性的有机NLO晶体。 该技术利用自有序液晶基质中的NLO客体分子的排列。 如果需要，使用场极化来消除中心对称。先进的处理进一步增强了膜的NLO特性。 由于相干相互作用，这些薄膜的非线性光学性质可以接近那些大块有机晶体。 此外，由于自然有序的主体，非线性光学性质的时间和热稳定性增强。 所提出的NLO材料技术也可用于制造低成本、超高性能的光子器件，如调制器、开关、移相器、具有直接商业用途的光束转向器件。 例如，这些器件是实现宽带，高速，全光通信的使能部件，这具有数十亿的市场

This Small Business Innovation Research program is to develop a novel technology for fabricating organic nonlinear optical (NLO) composite films that are ideal for photonics. The unprecedented performance for light modulation, switching, frequency conversion and other optical signal processing can be achieved: smaller device sizes, lower driving voltages, to name a few. This breakthrough technology has immense commercial potential in sectors of optical communications and information processing. The proposed film technology takes advantage of organic NLO crystals, which are known to have the highest NLO properties. The technology utilizes the alignment of NLO guest molecules in a host of self-ordered liquid crystal matrix. Field poling is used, if necessary, to remove the centro-symmetry. Advanced processing further enhances NLO properties of the films. Due to coherent interactions, the NLO properties of these films can approach those of bulk organic crystals. Moreover, temporal and thermal stability of the NLO properties is enhanced due to naturally ordered host. The proposed NLO material technology can also used to fabricate low-cost, ultrahigh-performance photonics, such as modulators, switches, phase shifters, beam steering devices that have immediate commercial use. For example, these devices are the enabling components to realize broadband, high-speed, all-optical communication, which has a multi-billion market