Feasibility study of infrared waveguide device fabrication on the Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) platform

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The nature of the work is to investigate the feasibility of fabricate infrared photonic devices on Redlen Technologies' novel Cadmium Zinc Tulluride (CZT) crystal based wafer which is known for its transparency over the infrared regime and ideal for making infrared waveguides, micro prisms, gratings and microcavities that could be used as building blocks for infrared photonic systems. Light at infrared range is widely used for remote sensing, tracking, imaging, spectroscopy and optical communication. Optical waveguide structure compatible at this wavelength will make the desirable device compact, sensitive and at low cost. In this proposal, the PI will investigate the feasibility of making photonic waveguide on CZT platform. We will focus on investigation to develop CZT wafer on silicon substrate to make our platform compatible with popular silicon photonic technologies. The etching processes to fabrication different waveguide structures on this platform will be investigated. Characterization of the optical properties of CZT based waveguide, such as scattering and bending loss of the fabricated waveguides in infrared region will be conducted. Our experiment results will be further compared with numerical simulations using the related software developed at the PI's research group for understanding the device behavior and optimizing the structures. The successful completion of the project may lead to future collaboration with Redlen on further development of photonic devices in the related applications based on the CZT platform. In the PI's view, the project is of important value to biologists and doctors where the CZT could potentially make more compact and sensitive sensing, imaging and spectroscopy systems. Such systems can easily be transform to monitor the atmospheric changes that is of vital interests to ecologists. Finally, the unique properties of CZT make it an intriguing platform for many applications in optical communication as well. These prospective, once verified can be achieved using Redlen's CZT platform through this collaboration, will place the company at the front line of the related market. The project will also help to train HQPs that are in demand for the related industry.