Collaborative Research: PIC: Slow Wave Enhanced Electrooptically Tuned Michelson Interferometer Biosensor for On-Chip Dual Polarization Interferometry

2020年的COVID大流行表明，全世界需要对各种病原体进行低成本、高度敏感、快速诊断的检测。虽然硅光子学能够以极高的灵敏度实现如此高度多路复用的无标记传感能力，但手持式低成本硅纳米光子传感器仍然缺失。制造上的缺陷使得使用固定波长激光器和单个探测器实现光子传感器变得困难。纳米光子柱和沟槽中的绑定不确定性也会引起光子测量的差异。该方案的基础工作采用了一种新型的片上双偏振干涉技术，该技术将减少光子测量的变异性，并采用新的电路实现，以实现电驱动和电读出低成本的片上纳米光子传感器。该器件的工作原理以及克服制造和测量限制的器件的电路实现以前没有被演示过。该项目将采用300 mm CMOS代工厂最先进的光子器件制造能力，即AIM Photonics，采用单片集成的无源和有源偏置光子元件。该项目将有来自代顿大学和北得克萨斯大学的光学、工程、材料科学和物理专业的学生参与，他们不仅将学习尖端STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)研究，还将学习下一代共集成电子-光子器件的铸造制造的计算机辅助设计布局。该项目还将与代顿早期学院的微生物学学生和教职员工以及俄亥俄州代顿和德克萨斯州丹顿地区的其他初中生和高中生合作。手持式传感器将在癌症诊断、传染性疾病和阿片类药物诊断以及环境污染监测等领域以及新药发现中得到应用。本项目的技术目标将：(A)展示慢光增强干涉芯片的原理；(B)研究新型硅芯片上的薄膜电光相移器；(C)展示芯片上的双偏振干涉测量；以及(D)展示一种前所未有的制造耐受性的硅-光子传感器，其工作在具有电子驱动和电子读出的紧凑型封装中。该计划将使学生接触到包括光刻、光子学、电子工程、物理、生物化学和材料科学在内的跨学科研究。该项目将最终开发一种USB供电的手持式光学生物传感器套件。项目成员将参与针对俄亥俄州大代顿和德克萨斯州大登顿的初中生和高中生的科技外联活动。项目活动将扩大少数民族学生参与STEM教育和培训的范围。学生们将接触到一个拥有亲身科技体验的创新生态系统。最后，该项目将有助于解决目前在美国建立半导体芯片设计和制造人力资源的重大需求。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The COVID pandemic of 2020 demonstrated the worldwide need for low-cost, highly sensitive, rapiddiagnostic testing of diverse pathogens. While silicon photonics enables such a highly multiplexed labelfreesensing capability with extremely high sensitivities, a handheld low-cost silicon nanophotonic sensoris still missing. Fabrication imperfections have made photonic sensor implementations difficult with a fixedwavelength laser and a single detector. Photonic measurement variabilities also arise from bindinguncertainties in nanophotonic pillars and trenches. The fundamental work in this proposal employs a novelon-chip dual polarization interferometry technique that will reduce photonic measurement variability, andnovel circuit implementations to enable electrically driven and electrically readout low-cost on-chipnanophotonic sensors. The working principle of the device, and circuit implementations of the device toovercome fabrication and measurement limitations have not been previously demonstrated. The state-ofthe-art photonic device fabrication capabilities at a 300 mm CMOS foundry, namely AIM Photonics, withmonolithically integrated passive and active electrically biased photonic components will be employed inthis project. The project will involve students in optics, engineering, materials science, and physics fromthe University of Dayton and the University of North Texas who will not only learn about cutting-edgeSTEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) research but also in computer aided designlayouts for foundry fabrication of next-generation co-integrated electronic-photonic devices. The projectwill also work with students and faculty in microbiology from the Dayton Early College Academy, andother middle and high school students in the greater Dayton, OH and Denton, TX areas. The handheldsensors will find applications in various domains of biological sensing for cancer diagnostics, infectiousdisease and opioid diagnostics, and environmental pollution monitoring as also in new drug discovery.The technical goals of this project will (a) demonstrate the principle of slow light enhanced interferometryon-chip; (b) investigate novel thin-film electro-optic phase shifters on silicon chip; (c) demonstrate on-chipreal time dual polarization interferometry; and (d) demonstrate an unprecedented fabrication tolerant siliconnanophotonic sensor operating in a compact package with electrical drive and electrical readout. Theprogram will expose students to interdisciplinary research encompassing lithography, photonics, electricalengineering, physics, biochemistry, and materials science. The project will culminate with the developmentof a USB-powered handheld optical biosensor kit. Project members will engage in science and technologyoutreach targeting middle and high school students in greater Dayton, OH and greater Denton, TX counties.Project activities will outreach to broaden the participation of minority students in STEM education andtraining. Students will be exposed to an innovation ecosystem with hands-on science and technologyexperience. Finally, the project will help to address the significant current need to build US-basedmanpower in the design and manufacturing of semiconductor chips.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.