Innovative Designs of Optical Fiber Components, Devices, and Sources Compatible with the Mid-Infrared

与中红外兼容的光纤元件、器件和光源的创新设计

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-03989
• 负责人: Rochette, Martin
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=752245
• 关键词: Innovative; Designs; Optical; Fiber; Components

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) components, devices, and sources in the 2-25 µm molecular fingerprint region are in high demand for a wide range of applications including optical coherence tomography, remote sensing, molecular spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging. For instance, chemical substances exhibit vibrational and rotational absorption bands in the mid-IR, and the unique signature left by these fundamental bands provides a universal means for their identification and quantification. Despite a vast range of applications, photonics technologies in the mid-IR have barely emerged with respect to widespread photonics technologies in the near-IR (0.7-2.0 µm). This is due to the optical transmission of silica fiber, a fundamental component of fiber optics, that is limited to the spectral range of 0.4-2.0 µm. Fiber optics in the mid-IR therefore require transmission media other than silica to become viable. In the past years, my research has successfully demonstrated new designs of optical fiber components, optical fiber devices, and optical fiber sources (OF-CDS) such as couplers, wavelength converters, fiber lasers, and supercontinuum sources. Chalcogenide glasses have been central to the fabrication of those OF-CDS, mainly because of their high-nonlinearity. However, chalcogenide glasses also provides OF-CDS a good degree of compatibility with the mid-IR, thanks to their transparency in this wavelength range. In response to the current need of mid-IR photonics and taking advantage of the strong momentum of my research group for the fabrication of OF-CDS using chalcogenide glasses, my research program for the next 5 years will consist into the development of innovative designs of OF-CDS compatible with the mid-IR. Building blocks that will be used for the fabrication of OF-CDS include new chalcogenide fiber compositions to extend the transparency at long wavelengths, fluoride fibers for the gain they can provide, and recently developed fiber couplers to build laser cavities. The proposed program addresses a growing concern across Canada, that is, the development of monitoring and sensing tools for health services, environment, and industry. This program harnesses current photonics technologies and scientifically mature optical materials, namely chalcogenide and fluoride glasses, to close an important gap in the market offerings of mid-IR fiber optics. Innovative OF-CDS will emerge from this program, leading to intellectual property and maintaining the Canadian industry at the forefront of photonics technologies. The proposed program will also contribute to the training of at least 18 HQP at the PhD, MEng, and BEng levels, in both fundamental and applied aspects of photonics. The budget is mostly devoted to training HQP, a reflection that one of the most important outcome of the program will be the HQP that contribute to continued Canadian innovation and leadership in high technologies at the service of industry, health services, and environment.

在2-25µm分子指纹区域的中红外（mid-IR）组件、器件和源在广泛的应用中有很高的需求，包括光学相干断层扫描、遥感、分子光谱和高光谱成像。例如，化学物质在中红外波段表现出振动和旋转吸收带，这些基本带留下的独特特征为它们的识别和定量提供了通用手段。尽管有广泛的应用，相对于广泛的近红外（0.7-2.0µm）光子技术，中红外光子技术几乎没有出现。这是由于光纤的基本组成部分二氧化硅光纤的光传输被限制在0.4-2.0µm的光谱范围内。因此，中红外光纤需要除二氧化硅以外的传输介质才能变得可行。在过去的几年里，我的研究已经成功地展示了光纤元件、光纤器件和光纤源（of - cds）的新设计，如耦合器、波长转换器、光纤激光器和超连续介质源。硫系玻璃一直是这些of - cds制造的核心，主要是因为它们的高非线性。然而，硫系玻璃也为of - cds提供了良好的中红外兼容性，这要归功于它们在该波长范围内的透明度。为了应对当前中红外光子学的需求，并利用我的研究小组在使用硫系玻璃制造of - cds方面的强劲势头，我未来5年的研究计划将包括开发与中红外兼容的of - cds的创新设计。用于制造of - cds的构建模块包括新的硫系光纤组合物，以延长长波长的透明度，氟化物光纤，以提供它们可以提供的增益，以及最近开发的光纤耦合器，以建立激光腔。拟议的方案解决了加拿大各地日益关注的一个问题，即为卫生服务、环境和工业开发监测和感知工具。该项目利用当前的光子学技术和科学上成熟的光学材料，即硫系玻璃和氟化物玻璃，以缩小中红外光纤市场产品的重要差距。创新的of - cds将从该项目中脱颖而出，引领知识产权并使加拿大工业保持在光子技术的前沿。该计划还将在光子学的基础和应用方面为至少18名博士，孟和BEng级别的HQP提供培训。预算主要用于培训HQP，这反映了该计划最重要的成果之一是HQP将有助于加拿大在工业、卫生服务和环境服务方面继续创新和领导高科技。