Optochemical organisation: from functional microstructures to all-optical encoding of light beams

我们的一些最关键的生存工具依赖于光来照明，精确测量，捕获和生成图像，传输数据，播放音乐，在计算机芯片上制造亚微观结构，诊断疾病以及绘制和治疗内部器官。这些技术中的每一种都基于对光波如何与其介质相互作用以及这些相互作用如何可测量地改变光的强度，波长和偏振等参数的深刻理解。当前光子学研究的首要目标是在微观结构内操纵和精确控制光束。这对于开发超越微电子的功能，效率和速度的基于光的设备至关重要。我的研究考察了光和化学系统的相互作用;当被照射时，这些系统的密度（和折射率）会增加。通过利用这些变化，我们已经训练了激光和白炽光束长距离传播而不消散，创造了微观晶格，并通过融合在一起或相互排斥而相互作用。有了这些知识和经验，结合联合收割机化学和光学，我们现在提出了强大的新策略来控制光的传播。具体地说，我们将（1）制作嵌有密集阵列（例如每立方厘米10000个）的光导通道（称为波导）的薄膜，这些通道在很大的角度范围内取向。当被涂在太阳能电池板上时，它们会捕获更多的太阳光线，从而提高将光转换为电的效率;（2）利用大量光束之间的相互作用来生成一个新的二进制代码系统（如比特）;在这里，数据可以由一百多万种独特的光模式组合而成。由于这些图案可以用低强度的LED光生成，这可能会为执行计算开辟一条廉价的途径。我们亦会（3）继续研究，进一步了解光与不同光化学系统的相互作用。这项研究将为高素质的人才提供跨学科的培训，这些人才对加拿大在本世纪的关键科学和技术部门之一的光子学领域有效竞争至关重要。

Some of our most critical survival tools rely on light to illuminate, precisely measure, capture and generate images, transmit data, play music, fabricate sub-microscopic structures on computer chips, diagnose illness and map and treat internal organs. Each of these technologies is based on a profound understanding of how lightwaves interact with their medium, and how these interactions measurably change parameters such as the intensity, wavelength and polarization of light. An overarching goal of current photonics research is to manipulate and precisely control light beams within microscopic structures. This is crucial to develop light-based devices that surpass the functionality, efficiency and speed of microelectronics. My research examines the interactions of light and chemical systems; when illuminated, these systems undergo an increase in density (and refractive index). By exploiting such changes, we have trained laser and incandescent beams to travel over long distances without dissipating, create microscopic lattices and interact by fusing together or repelling each other. With this knowledge and experience that combine chemistry and optics, we now propose powerful new strategies to control light propagation. Specifically, we will (1) fabricate films embedded with dense arrays (e.g. 10, 000 per cubic centimetre) of light-guiding channels called waveguides, which are oriented over a large angular range. When coated onto solar panels, they capture more Sun rays and in this way, improve the efficiency of converting light to electricity; (2) harness interactions between large populations of light beams to generate a new system of binary codes (like bits); here, data can be composed from more than a million combinations of unique light patterns. Because the patterns can be generated with low-intensity, LED light, this could open an inexpensive route to perform computing. We will also (3) continue studies to further understand the interactions of light and different photochemical systems. This research will provide interdisciplinary training for highly qualified personnel who are crucial for Canada to effectively compete in the field of photonics, one of the key scientific and technological sectors in this century.