CAREER: Electrowetting Microprisms - from Agile Fresnel Optics to Wide-Angle Phased Arrays

智力上的功绩。这份职业计划的目标是排列电润湿微棱镜，并创造一种以前从未存在过的平板电光。电润湿微棱镜对盐水和介质之间的接触角进行电压调制。这种接触角调制然后可以用来重新配置盐水半月面几何形状，从而重新配置光的折射。具体的研究目标包括：(1)硅集成和稳定长沟道器件；(2)将多个器件阵列为灵活的菲涅耳光学器件和相位连续的平板光学器件；(3)创造新颖的交流驱动方案和反馈控制，以提高精度。领先的智力问题包括：(A)通过圆柱形半月面稳定方面的突破，实现平面电润湿光学；(B)创建第一个不需要多电极阶跃转位的电光2p相轮廓；(C)开发用于精确多路复用众多电润湿设备的先进控制；(D)展示用于研究微观电润湿非理想情况的新光学工具。教育目标是：(1)将NSF支持的3个月的大二学生的研究经验放大到4个产业研究伙伴之一的18个月的合作研究经验；(2)通过创建一个高度可见的电湿教育/科学资源中心，提升K-College的教育体验。初步实验支持这样的预测，即电润湿微棱镜将在转向角(10倍，30倍)、所有极化下的传输效率(2倍，80%)和开关速度(100倍，10千赫)等方面超越液晶相控阵。这些属性对于激光雷达的波束控制等应用是非常必要的。更广泛的影响包括电润湿微棱镜，作为联网太阳能照明和灵活内窥镜的促进器。该项目提供的更好的理解将使PI能够将电润湿扩展到可切换光子晶体和用于芯片实验室的超精确液体采样等项目。

Intellectual Merit. The objective of this CAREER proposal is to array electrowetting microprisms and create a form of flat electro-optics that has not existed before. Electrowetting microprisms voltage-modulate the contact angle between a saline liquid and a dielectric. This contact angle modulation can then be used to reconfigure the saline meniscus geometry and consequently the refraction of light. Specific research aims include: (1) silicon-integrate and stabilize long-channel devices; (2) array multiple devices into agile Fresnel optics and phase-continuous flat optics; (3) create novel AC drive schemes and feedback controls to increase accuracy. Leading intellectual issues include: (a) enabling flat electrowetting optics via a breakthrough in cylindrical meniscus stabilization; (b) creating the first electro-optical 2p-phase profile without need for multi-electrode step-indexing; (c) developing advanced controls for accurate multiplexing of numerous electrowetting devices; (d) demonstrating new optical tools for investigating microscopic electrowetting non-idealities.Broader Impact. The educational aims are: (1) amplify 3 months of NSF-supported sophomore research experience into 18 months of co-op research experience at one of four industrial research partners; (2) elevate the K-college educational experience by creating a highly-visible resource center for electrowetting education/science. Preliminary experiments support projections that electrowetting microprisms will provide performance leaps over liquid-crystal phased-arrays in the categories of steering angle (10X, 30), transmission efficiency at all polarizations (2X, 80%), and switching speed (100X, 10 kHz). These attributes are highly desired for applications such as beam steering for laser radar. Broader impacts include electrowetting microprisms as an enabler for networked solar-lighting and for agile endoscopy. The improved understanding provided by this project will allow the PI to expand electrowetting into projects such as switchable photonic crystals and ultra-accurate liquid sampling for lab-on-chip.