CAREER: Optical Forces in Integrated Microphotonic Devices

职业生涯：集成微光子器件中的光学力PI：Michelle L.Povinelli，南加州大学教授，研究光子晶体和微谐振器等微光子器件，控制亚波长尺度上的光。半导体芯片的大规模集成将使能够进行复杂信息处理的全光电路成为可能。要实现这一目标，需要调整、调整和重新配置各个设备的机制。拟议的工作将使用光学力来实现这一目的。初步结果表明，光可以用来将两个平行的悬臂拉在一起或将它们推开。这种效应将被用来设想新的光学器件，其特性可以全光学地控制。电磁模拟将被用来计算光刻法制造的结构中的光学力，如耦合波导悬臂梁和光子晶片。智能优点：拟议的研究将建立一种新的纳米级定位和控制机制。这一结果有望在微光子学、集成光学、量子光学和光学捕获等领域产生广泛的影响。这项工作将受益于与MEMS社区的思想交流：光学力提供了传统静电方法的另一种驱动机制，并将产生独特的应用领域。更广泛的影响：拟议的工作包括将影响科学研究、南加州大学和洛杉矶社区的综合研究和教育活动。国际工程学院将向女性和少数民族学生群体讲授工程职业。PI和她的研究小组还将与南加州大学工程多样性中心合作，为教育水平较低的K-12学生开发两个项目：互动光学演示和南加州大学本科生的课堂演讲，将电气工程与日常生活联系起来。

CAREER: Optical Forces in Integrated Microphotonic DevicesPI: Michelle L. Povinelli, University of Southern CaliforniaMicrophotonic devices, such as photonic crystals and microresonators, control light on the sub-wavelength scale. Large-scale integration on semiconductor chips will enable all-optical circuits capable of complex information processing. To achieve this goal, mechanisms for tuning, adapting, and reconfiguring individual devices are needed. The proposed work will use optical forces for this purpose. Preliminary results have shown that light can be used to pull two parallel cantilevers together or push them apart. This effect will be used to envision new optical devices whose properties can be controlled all-optically. Electromagnetic simulations will be used to calculate optical forces in lithographically-fabricated structures such as coupled waveguide cantilevers and photonic crystal slabs.Intellectual Merit: The proposed research will establish a new mechanism for positioning and control on the nanoscale. The results are expected to have broad impact in microphotonics, integrated optics, quantum optomechanics, and optical trapping. The work will benefit from cross-fertilization of ideas with the MEMS community: optical forces provide an alternative actuation mechanism to traditional electrostatic approaches and will result in unique application niches. Broader Impact: The proposed work includes integrated research and educational activities that will impact the scientific research, USC, and Los Angeles communities. The PI will give lectures on engineering careers to groups of female and minority students. The PI and her research group will also work with the USC Center for Engineering Diversity to develop two programs for educationally-disadvantaged K-12 students: interactive optics demos and classroom talks by USC undergraduates that relate electrical engineering to everyday life.