STTR Phase I: Development of Materials for Optical Band Gaps in Magneto-Photonic Crystals for Switching and Biosensor Applications

这项小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段项目旨在开发磁光子晶体布里温区内的新型光学带隙，该带隙将对外部刺激具有极大的响应性。这些带隙是由于磁光光子晶体环境中不同偏振光模式的杂化而产生的。它们在功能光子晶体中的形成允许对晶体的光响应进行磁控制，用于快速开关应用。本课题要解决的问题是在大带宽双折射非互易周期磁光石榴石薄膜中形成这些磁可调谐光带隙的材料要求。在定制衬底上的磁光石榴石薄膜的液相外延将优化所有这些特性。该薄膜将以平面波导中磁光子晶体结构的光刻和聚焦离子束图像化实现为特征，这将用于证明该方法在实现所需光学带隙方面的有效性。更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是开发具有商业应用的多功能智能材料，如高灵敏度片上生物传感器，可控快速光开关，滤波器和调制器以及磁场/电流传感器。生物化学物质的检测和分析在环境监测、生物医学研究、医疗保健和国土安全方面有着广泛的应用。光学生物传感器是检测多种类型分析物的重要而有力的工具，从细菌和细菌孢子到病毒和DNA，以及有毒和无毒物质。简并带隙光子晶体的一个有趣特征是能够调节带隙，从而使该结构对光学滤波器或开关的开发具有吸引力。光交换用于电信光信号的路由和逻辑运算。磁光开关比液晶开关、热开关或机械开关快几倍是可能的。光纤磁光传感器在基础设施、电力、汽车、电力电子、航空航天、军事、危险环境、教育和无损检测等领域具有特定的应用。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to develop new types of optical band gaps inside the Brillouin zone in magneto-photonic crystals that will be extremely responsive to external stimuli. These band gaps arise as a result of the hybridization of differently polarized optical modes in a magneto-optic photonic crystal environment. Their formation in functional photonic crystals permits the magnetic control of the crystals' optical response for fast switching applications. The problem to be addressed in this project is the materials requirements for the formation of these magnetically tunable optical band gaps in birefringent non-reciprocal periodic magneto-optic garnet films with large bandwidth. Liquid Phase Epitaxy of thin magneto-optic garnet films on custom substrates will be optimized for all these properties. The films will be characterized by the lithographic and focused-ion-beam patterning implementation of magneto-photonic crystal structures in planar waveguides, which will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in achieving the desired optical band gaps.The broader impact/commercial potential will be the development of multi-functional smart materials with commercial applications, as highly sensitive on-chip biosensors, controllable fast optical switches, filters and modulators and magnetic field/current sensors. The detection and analysis of biochemical substances has vast applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical research, healthcare, and homeland security. Optical biosensors constitute an important and powerful tool for the detection of multiple types of analytes ranging from bacteria and bacterial spores to virus and DNA, as well as toxic and non-toxic substances. An interesting feature of the degenerate band gap photonic crystals is the ability to tune a band gap, thus making the structure attractive for the development of optical filters or switches. Optical switching is used in the routing of optical signals for telecommunications and in logic operations. Magneto-optic switching times faster than liquid-crystal, thermal or mechanically based switches are possible. Optical fiber magneto-optic sensors have specific applications in the areas of infrastructure, electric power, automotive, power electronics, aerospace, military, hazardous environments, educational and non-destructive testing. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).