Materials World Network: Semiconductor Photonic Materials Inside Microstructured Optical Fibers

该项目是与英国南安普顿大学合作进行的，目的是提高化合物半导体和非晶氢化第四族半导体光纤的材料质量，使它们能够用于广泛的应用，包括非线性光学处理、亚波长成像和光纤激光器。 目前的半导体光纤具有超过1dB/cm的损耗，这通常被认为是许多半导体光子器件中实际应用的阈值损耗。作为化合物半导体光纤中主要损耗机制的晶界散射将通过改进美国/英国研究小组开创的光纤内材料沉积技术来减少。 氢化硅和锗光纤中的损耗也将通过消除导致光纤芯中的光散射的空隙和改进材料沉积技术以允许更好地钝化引起损耗的缺陷来降低。这些改进的低损耗化合物半导体和非晶氢化IV族半导体光纤的二阶和三阶非线性光学特性将从非线性光学器件的角度来表征。由这些材料组成的芯包层光纤结构也将被制造用于亚波长、高分辨率的红外成像。新的化合物半导体纤维与不同的成分也将被沉积，以扩大范围的材料性能，可以利用在纤维的几何形状。该项目汇集了互补的专业知识，在材料合成和结构和光学特性的宾夕法尼亚州立大学的团队和专业知识，在导波设备的南安普顿团队。学生们将在大西洋两岸进行为期几周到一个月的访问，以保持两个团体之间强大的合作关系。这些访问将通过网络讨论和介绍以及计算机视频会议补充正在进行的协作互动。 美国学生将在南安普顿光电研究中心接触世界一流的光纤制造和表征设施。 英国学生将在宾夕法尼亚州立大学学习材料合成和表征。这种天然的伙伴关系有望通过拟议的材料研究将晶体半导体和非晶氢化半导体纤维领域推向实际应用。外联工作包括访问当地学校，在宾夕法尼亚州立大学实验室接待本科生，以及PI和学生参加在宾夕法尼亚州立大学为2-12年级学生举办的动手科学夏令营。这些夏令营有大量代表性不足的群体参与，并为所有参与者提供高质量，高度参与的科学指导。

This project, based on collaboration with the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, seeks to improve the materials quality of compound semiconductor and amorphous hydrogenated group IV semiconductor optical fibers such that they become useful for a wide range of applications, including non-linear optical processing, subwavelength imaging, and fiber lasers. Current semiconductor optical fibers have losses in excess of 1 dB/cm, which is often considered to be the threshold loss for practical application in many semiconductor photonic devices. The grain boundary scattering that is the primary loss mechanism in compound semiconductor fibers will be reduced by improving in-fiber materials deposition techniques that the US/UK groups have pioneered. The loss in hydrogenated silicon and germanium fibers will also be reduced by eliminating voids that lead to light scattering in fiber cores and improving materials deposition techniques to allow for better passivation of defects that give rise to loss. The second and third order non-linear optical properties of these improved low loss compound semiconductor and amorphous hydrogenated group IV semiconductor fibers will be characterized with a view toward non-linear optical devices. Core cladding fiber structures composed of these materials will also be fabricated for sub-wavelength, high resolution infrared imaging. New compound semiconductor fibers with different compositions will also be deposited to extend the range of materials properties that can be exploited in the fiber geometry.This project brings together the complementary expertise in materials synthesis and structural and optical characterization of the Penn State team and with the expertise in guided wave devices of the Southampton team. Students will travel in both directions across the Atlantic for visits of a few weeks to a month to maintain the strong collaborative ties between the two groups. These visits will supplement ongoing collaborative interactions via web-based discussions and presentations as well as computer-based video conferencing. US students will be exposed to the world class fiber fabrication and characterization facilities at the Southampton Optoelectronics Research Centre. UK students will learn about materials synthesis and characterization at Penn State. This natural partnership is anticipated to move the field of crystalline semiconductor and amorphous hydrogenated semiconductor fibers towards practical application through the proposed materials research. Outreach efforts include visits to local schools, hosting undergraduate students in the Penn State Laboratories, and participation by the PI's and students in hands-on science camps hosted at Penn State for students from grades 2-12. These camps have substantial participation by underrepresented groups and provide high quality, highly engaging science instruction for all attendees.