NIRT: 3D Hierarchical Nanomanufacturing for Active Photonics-on-chip

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The objective of this Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research (NIRT) project is to establish an interdisciplinary research and education program in the area of nanomanufacturing for the fabrication of active photonics-on-chip where optical properties can be controlled either optically, magnetically or electro-optically. Several approaches will be combined to enable fabrication of photonic bandgap crystals and active photonic devices. Imprint lithography will be employed to create two-dimensional photonic crystals containing point defects for creation of the cavity of laser sources and line defects for planar waveguides. Three-dimensional photonic crystals will be fabricated through multi-beam holographic lithographic techniques in which all beams come from the same half-space. Two-photon stereolithography will then be used to fabricate defects inside the three-dimensional photonic crystal for optical processing. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional photonic bandgap crystals will be hybridized to form a photonic band gap heterostructure containing engineered defects, which enables active control of light generation, photon propagation, and photon signal processing in optical circuits.If these technologies are successful, the economies and scaling of today's silicon electronics can be carried forward into tomorrow's silicon photonics. Overall, these technologies can make optical circuit manufacturing commercially feasible and contribute to the United States' global competitiveness in photonics technology. University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) is a minority university which is second in the nation in the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanics. Through this collaborative project, UTPA professors and students can access the unique facilities at the University of Texas at Austin, one of the top-ranked and best-equipped Universities in Texas. The research will offer an excellent opportunity for Hispanic students to engage in multi-disciplinary research and to pursue advanced degrees, increasing the number of under-represented scientists.