Collaborative Research: Silicon Carbide Devices for Optomechanics and Photonics

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Title: Silicon Carbide Devices for Optomechanics and PhotonicsThe objective of this collaborative project is to understand and engineer a new platform for manipulating light and processing information on chip, by using silicon carbide (SiC) micro-structures. In particular, high quality micro-resonators are essential for functions such as filtering, wave mixing, and signal generation. SiC is a semiconductor that offers superior optical, mechanical, and thermal properties compared to conventional materials. In this project, the PIs aim to develop SiC micro-photonic components that offer novel functionalities inaccessible by current approaches. Fundamental research findings and device innovations will be disseminated to the research communities through published papers and will be also incorporated into the courses offered by the PIs at both institutions. The proposed research will also train graduate and undergraduate students in the interdisciplinary areas of photonics, MEMS/NEMS, materials science, and quantum optics. Through the outreach programs, this project will also help promote the interests and participations of K-12 students, and broaden the participations from underrepresented groups. The focus of the proposed research is to explore and develop an entirely new device platform for micro-/nano-photonics, particularly for nano-optomechanics and integrated nonlinear photonics, by employing high-quality SiC devices. Optical micro-/nano-resonators are fundamental building blocks for many important areas in optical science and technology, ranging from nonlinear optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, optomechanics, to biomedical sensing. The device performance depends critically on the properties of the underlying materials from which the devices are built. The proposed research is based on the superior linear optical, nonlinear optical, mechanical, and thermal properties in SiC materials. Through innovative device designs and advanced nanofabrication technology, the PIs plan to establish SiC as a viable platform for nano-optomechanics and nonlinear photonics. The PIs have highly complementary expertise in SiC material processing and device physics and engineering. The two groups will form an integrative team to carry out explorative research on developing a family of multifunctional SiC micro-/nano-photonic devices with performance either surpassing state-of-the-art or inaccessible with conventional approaches. Preliminary results have already demonstrated the feasibility of achieving these goals.