SBIR Phase I: Large Aperture, Periodically-Structured Gallium Arsenide for Infrared and THz Wavelength Conversion

SBIR 第一阶段：用于红外和太赫兹波长转换的大孔径、周期性结构砷化镓

• 批准号: 1013472
• 负责人: Christopher Wood
• 金额: $ 14.98万
• 依托单位: Precision Photonics Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1013472&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Large; Aperture; Periodically

AbstractThis Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate novel optical bonding techniques to produce periodically-structured gallium arsenide (GaAs) nonlinear crystals. High-power, widely-tunable infrared sources are needed for applications in chemical-biological sensing, climate monitoring, medical diagnostics, multispectral imaging, laser spectroscopy, terahertz spectroscopy and imaging, and infrared countermeasures. Such infrared sources are typically created by wavelength conversion of a high-power source using a nonlinear crystal. Existing crystals for infrared bands are limited in their performance, compromising all the applications above. GaAs is recognized as a superior nonlinear material compared to other crystals, but it cannot be birefringently phase-matched. To enable wavelength conversion, GaAs crystals must be fabricated into layers of alternating crystal domains (quasi-phase-matching, QPM). While these structures have now been fabricated using epitaxial growth techniques - validating the usefulness of QPM with GaAs - those methods will likely never produce the cm-size optical apertures required for high-power applications. Fundamental studies of interfacial losses for bonded GaAs will be undertaken, leading to demonstrations of multi-layer, high-strength, large-aperture structures suitable for high-power applications. The results of this research will be detailed physical understanding of the interface physics, opto-mechanical characterization of the fabricated structures, and important guidance for wafer-based commercial production.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to provide large aperture GaAs nonlinear crystals that have scientific, commercial, and societal merit in two different ways. First, the novel bonding processes that will be investigated are the first steps to functional large-aperture wavelength conversion devices in QPM GaAs. Such layered material structures are generally referred to as 'engineered nonlinear materials', and Periodically-Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) is the most well-known example. PPLN has supplanted most other nonlinear materials in its infrared wavelength conversion region (~2-5um), and has initiated a multi-field-of-use market that now includes numerous engineered structures. Periodically-structured GaAs will extend these markets for engineered nonlinear materials across the entire infrared region (~2-14um). Second, the production of engineered infrared materials will enable new scientific investigations in spectral regions that are currently difficult to access, require higher power, or are otherwise commercially unfeasible or impractical. Examples include multispectral infrared systems to protect our military forces and homeland from chemical and biological threats, terahertz systems that can interrogate hidden structures (and humans) more safely than x-rays and can detect weapons and explosives, fundamental scientific infrared spectroscopic studies, and improved medical equipment and diagnostic techniques.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将研究新的光学键合技术，以生产非线性结构的砷化镓（GaAs）非线性晶体。 化学生物传感、气候监测、医学诊断、多光谱成像、激光光谱学、太赫兹光谱学和成像以及红外对抗等领域都需要高功率、宽调谐的红外光源。 这样的红外源通常通过使用非线性晶体的高功率源的波长转换来创建。 现有的红外波段晶体在性能上受到限制，影响了上述所有应用。 GaAs被认为是比其他晶体上级的非线性材料，但它不能进行精确的相位匹配。 为了实现波长转换，GaAs晶体必须被制造成交替晶畴的层（准相位匹配，QPM）。 虽然这些结构现在已经使用外延生长技术制造-验证QPM与GaAs的有用性-这些方法可能永远不会产生高功率应用所需的厘米大小的光学孔径。 键合GaAs的界面损耗的基础研究将进行，导致多层，高强度，大孔径结构的示范适用于高功率应用。 这项研究的结果将是详细的物理理解的接口物理，光学机械特性的制造结构，并为基于晶圆的商业production.The更广泛的影响/商业潜力的重要指导，这个项目是提供大口径砷化镓非线性晶体，具有科学，商业和社会价值在两个不同的方式。 首先，新的键合工艺，将被调查的第一步功能大口径波长转换器件QPM GaAs。 这种层状材料结构通常被称为“工程非线性材料”，周期极化铌酸锂（PPLN）是最知名的例子。 PPLN在其红外波长转换区域（~2- 5 um）已经取代了大多数其他非线性材料，并开创了一个多领域的使用市场，现在包括许多工程结构。 周期性结构的GaAs将在整个红外区域（~2- 14 μ m）扩展工程非线性材料的市场。 其次，工程红外材料的生产将使目前难以进入的光谱区域的新科学研究成为可能，需要更高的功率，或者在商业上不可行或不切实际。 例子包括多光谱红外系统，以保护我们的军队和家园免受化学和生物威胁，太赫兹系统，可以询问隐藏的结构（和人类）比X射线更安全，可以检测武器和爆炸物，基础科学红外光谱研究，以及改进的医疗设备和诊断技术。