Algorithmically Designed Optoelectronic Devices

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The program described herein explores the algorithmic design, experimental fabrication, and characterisation of nanophotonic structures for optoelectronic devices. The long term objective is to utilise these processes to create 3D structured devices, including photonic siphons, spectral sorters, and hybrid antennas, which would allow revolutionary advances for the fields of quantum computing, solar energy conversion, and machine vision. The major objectives of this program are threefold: 1-Algorithmic design At the nanoscale, light behaves both as a particle and a wave, complicating the design of structures with sub-wavelength features, to the point where even the function of a nanophotonic component cannot be determined intuitively. Algorithmic design addresses this, allowing full-wave optical simulations to dictate the geometry of the nanophotonic object. We previously demonstrated the use of an evolutionary algorithm to design ~2.5D dielectric structures. These design techniques will now be taken much further-incorporation of artificial neural networks, automatic differentiation-based simulations, and inverse design, will allow structures to be designed faster and with larger degrees of freedom. This allows us to expand into fully 3D designs, and even multi-material systems, thereby not only achieving further improvements in performance, but also introducing a wide range of unprecedented optical and electronic functionalities. 2-Fabrication in 3D Cognisant of the limited 3D structure in optoelectronic devices, our second objective is the creation of ways to fabricate the complex multi-material systems our algorithms design. We have previously demonstrated the ability to utilise 3D multi-photon lithography techniques to produce nanophotonic structures with sub-wavelength features. This will continue to be developed, along with exploration into new techniques as well; we are currently collaborating to introduce 3D printing using electron beam-induced deposition for feature resolutions of tens of nanometers. This is currently being explored for glassy materials, but will be expanded to metals as well. Furthermore, we are collaborating to utilise self-assembly of complex 3D geometries to allow parallel deposition of structures over a large substrate, and even deposition of semiconductor materials. 2-Nanophotonic characterisation Characterisation at high resolution is essential to the development of new devices, particularly those with novel properties. Previously we applied a super-resolution localisation microscopy technique to probe the photonic environment around simple nanowire structures. This will be further developed to understand the performance of the much more complex devices created in this program. Furthermore, an integrated in situ fabrication and measurement system will allow for development of novel structures in an automated system, providing a physical accompaniment to the algorithmic design process of the first objective.