PFI:AIR - TT: BaTiO3 Photonic Crystal Electro-optic Devices for 50 GHz Applications

PFI:AIR - TT：适用于 50 GHz 应用的 BaTiO3 光子晶体电光器件

• 批准号: 1500222
• 负责人: Bruce Wessels
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-15 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1500222&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; AIR; TT; BaTiO3; Photonic

This PFI Accelerating Innovation Technology Project focuses on the development of a prototype Photonic crystal (PhC) electro-optic modulator for ultra-high bandwidth optical systems. This is important because in the future, communication and cyber systems will require optical subsystems with ultra-high transmission rates due to the connectivity requirements of data centers, residential systems, mobile smartphones, and smart network communications. The optical modulator is a key piece of optical systems and at present is the component that limits the data transmission rates. This project focuses on developing a working, packaged prototype optical modulator based on barium titanate (BaTiO3) ferroelectric oxide thin films with a bandwidth of 50 GHz, which is 25% higher than the current state of the art technology based on Lithium niobate (LiNbO3). Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) has been established as the electro-optic material of choice for optical modulators due to its relatively high electro-optic (EO) coefficient. However, it has a high dielectric constant at microwave frequencies, which limits the bandwidth of conventional modulators to 40 gigahertz (GHz) or less. Approaches based on silicon, indium phosphide and polymeric materials have been widely investigated to solve this major challenge and although progress has been made, a number of significant challenges in speed and power required remain. This project takes an alternative approach by using BaTiO3 ferroelectric oxide thin films with experimentally demonstrated electro-optic (EO) coefficients more than an order of magnitude higher than that of LiNbO3. In this project, packaged EO modulators with photonic crystal waveguide structure will be developed. Devices will be fabricated using vapor phase epitaxial deposition, and both conventional photolithography and focused ion beam milling. The BaTiO3 thin film platform has numerous competitive advantages over other platforms for optical modulator applications such as (1) Large EO coefficient, ten times higher compared to those of LiNbO3 devices dominating optical modulator markets; (2) Low driving voltage thus low power consumption; (3) Ultrahigh bandwidth higher than 50 GHz demonstrated with potential reaching sub-THz regime; (4) potential for integration with Si electronics leading to ultrahigh compact electro-optical components at low cost. By using a BaTiO3 thin film platform with non-linear photonic crystals, significant improvements in bandwidth, operating voltage, and size are expected compared to conventional devices. A working packaged, prototype 50 GHz bandwidth modulator, 1mm long, will be demonstrated. The project will involve training of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in photonic crystal design as well as offering experiences with technology transfer through the development and demonstration of the prototype.

该PFI加速创新技术项目着重于用于超高带宽光学系统的原型光子晶体（PHC）电气调制器的开发。 这很重要，因为将来，由于数据中心，住宅系统，移动智能手机和智能网络通信的连通性要求，通信和网络系统将需要具有超高传输速率的光学子系统。 光学调制器是光学系统的关键部分，目前是限制数据传输速率的组件。 该项目着重于开发基于钛酸钡（BATIO3）铁电氧化物薄膜的工作，包装的原型光学调节剂，带宽为50 GHz，比基于基于Niobate锂的锂（Linbo3）的当前艺术技术状态高25％。 由于其相对较高的电磁（EO）系数，尼贝特锂（Linbo3）已成为光学调节剂的电光材料。 但是，它在微波频率下具有较高的介电常数，这将常规调节器的带宽限制为40 gigahertz（GHz）或更少。已经广泛研究了基于硅，磷化物和聚合物材料的方法，以解决这一重大挑战，尽管取得了进展，但仍需在需要的速度和功率方面存在许多巨大的挑战。该项目通过使用BATIO3铁电氧化物薄膜和实验性证明的电形（EO）系数的数量级高于Linbo3的数量级，采用了另一种方法。在这个项目中，将开发具有光子晶体波导结构的包装EO调节器。设备将使用蒸气相外延沉积以及常规光刻和聚焦的离子束铣削制成。 Batio3薄膜平台比其他平台在光学调制器应用中具有许多竞争优势，例如（1）大EO系数，与主导光学调制器市场的LINBO3设备相比，大型EO系数高十倍； （2）低驾驶电压因此低功耗； （3）超过50 GHz的超高带宽，潜在的sub-thz政权； （4）与SI电子设备集成的潜力，以低成本导致超高紧凑的电流组件。通过使用具有非线性光子晶体的BATIO3薄膜平台，与常规设备相比，带宽，操作电压和尺寸的显着改善。将展示一个工作包装的原型50 GHz带宽调制器，长1mm。 该项目将涉及对研究生和博士后学者进行光子晶体设计的培训，并通过开发和演示原型提供技术转移的经验。