I-Corps: Miltiwavelength Integrated Nanphotonic Transceivers

这项提议的设备研究将材料研究和纳米制造技术与新的系统方法结合起来，以增强当前光纤网络的能力。这项工作是基于先前NSF CISE EMTNano项目的研究成果，该项目涉及硅声子学、纳米制造和非线性光学聚合物研究。该器件的研究涉及将光学元件小型化到纳米级，从而将光学器件的覆盖范围扩展到更短的距离。小型化允许通过使用硅光子学元件允许的片上密集波分复用来增强带宽。小型化的系统降低了功耗，允许使用宽带光源，而不是大量的稳定激光器。这种新的系统方法不仅有望在尺寸和成本上取得突破，而且在控制过程和热变化的方法上也有了重大突破。该材料的研究涉及高温电光发色团，该发色团在聚合物宿主中表现出高电光系数。纳米技术包括这些新型复合聚合物在开槽硅纳米波导结构中的渗透和极化。拟议研究的更广泛影响包括节能、教育和经济效益。IT设备消耗了全国3.6 PW-h年能源消耗的百分之几。高效的计算将增加IT容量，同时降低能耗。这项研究在很多方面影响着教育。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供研究机会。研究结果将适时发表，并纳入课程。PI在鼓励少数民族学生和妇女参与方面有着良好的记录，并将在该项目下继续扩大这些努力。该提案基于之前在基础研究工作中的发现，并解决了NSF I-Corps团队的主题，即将科学发现创新为有益于社会的技术、产品和过程。总体而言，建议的工作将提供社会日益依赖的新一代电脑及资讯科技，对社会产生广泛影响。

This proposed device research incorporates material research and nanofabrication technology with new system approaches to enhance current fiber optic networking capabilities. The work is based on research results from a grant made by the previous NSF CISE EMTNano program that involved silicon phontonics, nano fabrication and nonlinear optical polymer research. The device research involves miniaturizing optical components to the nano-scale, thereby extending the t reach of optics to ever shorter distances. The miniaturization permits enhancement of bandwidth through the use of on-chip dense wavelength division multiplexing allowed by silicon photonics components. The miniaturized system with reduced power consumption permits use of broadband sources instead of a multitude of stabilized lasers. This new system approach promises not only breakthroughs in size and cost but an epiphany in the approach to control of process and thermal variations. The material research involves high temperature electro-optic chromophores that exhibit high electro-optic coefficients when guested in polymeric hosts. The nanotechnology includes infiltration and poling of these novel composite polymers in slotted silicon nano-waveguide structures.The broader impacts of the proposed research include energy conservation, education and economic benefits. IT equipment consumes several percent of the annual national energy consumption of 3.6 PW-h. Efficient computing will increase IT capacity while lowering energy consumption. This research impacts education in numerous ways. The program will provide research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. The research results will be published as well as incorporated into courses in a timely fashion. The PI has a track record in encouraging participation of minority students and women and will continue to expand these efforts under this program. The proposal is based on the previous discoveries in fundamental research efforts and addresses the theme of the NSF I-Corps Teams, that is, to innovate scientific discoveries into technologies, products and processes that benefit society. Overall, the proposed work will broadly impact the society by providing the next-generation computing and information technology (IT) on which the society increasingly depends.