CAREER: Overcoming the Limitations of Microelectronics Using Si Nanophotonics: Solving the Coupling, Modulation and Switching Challenges

硅上光学为光学和微电子的单片集成提供了一个平台。它可以打开一扇新技术的大门，这种新技术不受传统微电子技术的限制，具有低功耗、高带宽、高速度和高集成度。硅纳米光子学的最新研究结果表明，利用纳米结构在硅芯片上引导、过滤、弯曲和分裂光线的能力。在此，本文提出了解决硅基纳米光子学的两个主要问题，这两个问题仍然是该领域的瓶颈：2.芯片上纳米级结构与芯片外微米级结构的耦合，这是由于目前缺乏全硅光源所必需的；对外部光子结构进行调制和开关控制。这两个关键技术挑战的解决方案将使设计具有前所未有性能的全光学和光电系统成为可能。为了在硅上实现耦合、开关和调制，将使用高度限制的结构。在结构的特定位置的高度光约束增加了器件对外部控制的灵敏度。它还可以在很短的长度内修改波导模式，以提高不同结构之间的耦合效率。初步结果表明了在硅中使用亚微米尺寸的高约束结构开关和耦合光的可行性，并为本研究奠定了基础。在研究计划的基础上，提出了以下几点：一项外联计划，其目标是通过解决职业-家庭生活问题，解决工程专业，特别是新兴的纳米技术领域女学生的留用问题；一个教育计划，让学生接触到光子学作为一个跨学科的领域，并加强本科和研究生欧洲经委会在光子学领域的课程。

Optics on Si enables a platform for monolithic integration of optics and microelectronics. It can open the door to a new technology that is free from conventional microelectronics limitations with low power, high bandwidth, high speed and a high level of integration. Recent results in Si Nanophotonics have shown the ability to guide, filter, bend and split light on Silicon chips using nano-size structures. Here it is proposed to address two of the major issues in Si-based Nanophotonics that remain the bottleneck of this field: 1. Coupling on-chip nano-size structures to off-chip micron size structures necessitated by the current absence of an all-Silicon optical source, and 2. Controlling externally the photonic structures for modulation and switching. The solution to these two key technical challenges will enable the design of all-optical and electro-optical systems with unprecedented performance. In order to achieve coupling, switching and modulation on Silicon highly confining structures will be used. The high degree of optical confinement at a specific location of the structure increases the sensitivity of the device to external control. It also enables modification of the waveguiding modes in very short lengths, for increased coupling efficiency between different structures. The preliminary results show the feasibility of switching and coupling light using sub-micron size high confinement structures in Si and create the groundwork for this proposed research. In addition to the research plan, it is proposed to develop: 1. An outreach program with the goal of addressing the retention problem of female students in engineering and in particular in the emerging field of nanotechnology by addressing career-family life issues, and 2. An educational program for exposing students to photonics as an interdisciplinary area and enhancing the undergraduate and graduate ECE curriculum in the area of photonics.