Sustainable, human-safe, and compact deep ultraviolet light sources

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Semiconductor technologies have been evolving over 70 years, and their transformative impact on human society has been witnessed by generations. Examples include near-infrared laser diodes that have become the backbone of modern optical communications and the recent advent of blue light-emitting diodes that have been revolutionizing the way we illuminate the world. However, in contrast to these highly advanced devices in the near-infrared and visible spectral ranges, advanced devices have remained missing in the short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) range. Light sources, in the UV range, are currently applied in a wide range of applications including disinfection to combat deadly viruses and curing polymers for many industries. Today, such light sources rely on toxic mercury, which jeopardizes ecosystems and the environment. The urgent need to replace them with advanced semiconductor devices is obvious. The team intends to apply gallium nitride nanostructures beyond the current state-of-the-art, to realize sustainable, human-safe, and compact deep UV photonic devices. This goal will be achieved through novel approaches to address long-standing challenges including p-type doping and light extraction. Energy-efficient, environment-friendly, short-wavelength UV light sources is a goal of the semiconductor community throughout the world. Any success in this direction would be a major leap forward. The new photonic device technologies stemming from this research would then have a direct impact on semiconductor and photonic industries in both Quebec and other Canadian provinces, leading to an expansion in their manufacturing output, additions of new products, and stimulating job opportunities. The future-generation of scientists, researchers, and engineers cultivated from this program will also benefit the tech industries in both Quebec and other Canadian provinces. Certainly, the new technologies will influence our society profoundly, changing the way we disinfect food, handle waste water, and detect biological or chemical hazards. Moreover, our devices will also create valuable new opportunities currently inaccessible with existing technologies, including portable chemical fluorescence sensing and disinfection devices, which could be used by communities in the Canadian northern territories and by deployed workers in remote locations where energy efficiency and portability are critical.