Multifunctional Ferroelectric Single-crystal Architecture in Glass: Fabrication, Optical Properties, and Nanoscale Polar Order

非技术描述：2007年，世界主要玻璃公司的研发负责人和学术界的一项联合分析确定，在电子应用/纳米结构中引入玻璃的新功能方面，微米/纳米技术和光刻技术是最值得研究的课题之一。因此，本项目致力于创造铁电(单晶)玻璃结构(FCGA)。它是一种新型材料，将铁电材料的特殊电气、机械和光学功能与玻璃的坚固、易于成形和低成本结合在一起。FCGA将无源集成光学技术与光学有源铁电结构无缝地融合在一起，这些结构是选择性和局部定制的。这些材料将提供多种新颖的功能，如微/纳米机电换能器、传感器、电可寻址非线性波导等，这些将是下一代健康和环境监测设备、光通信网络和消费电子产品所必需的。该项目的广泛影响通过显著扩大目前为本科生和预科学生以及广大公众设计的教育方案而进一步实现。它们包括本科生的国内和国际研究经验、光学夏令营？以及与塔斯基吉大学--HBCU的一个机构--合作。技术细节：FCGAs的优化开发需要基本了解(I)在玻璃下由连续波(CW)或飞秒(FS)激光控制的单晶生长到顺电到铁电的转变，(Ii)小尺寸晶体在受限介质中的铁电响应的性质，以及(Iii)在微纳尺度上对铁电和晶体顺序的控制。为了解决这些问题，来自京都大学的一个由两个PI和一个合作者组成的团队正在将他们在材料合成、激光控制制造、铁电操纵和光学表征方面的综合专业知识应用到一个模型氧化物玻璃系统中，该系统很可能在不改变成分的情况下，仅通过局部原子结构的重新配置来实现一致结晶并形成铁电晶体，从而简化了数据的理论解释。在电子显微镜和同步辐射X射线技术的支持下，研究了激光辐照单晶生长的确切机制与激光特性的关系。受限晶体的铁电状态由PI开创的新的光谱技术来表征。在时间允许的情况下，计划在连续激光红外传输硫化物玻璃系统中建立FCGA的概念和可行性的实验。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: In 2007, a joint analysis by the R&D leaders of the world's major glass companies and academia identified 'Micro/nanopatterning and Lithography' as one of the most deserving research topic for introducing new functionalities of glass in electronic applications/nanostructuring. Accordingly, this project aims on creating ferroelectric (single) crystal-in-glass architecture (FCGA). It is a new class of material that combines the exceptional electrical, mechanical, and optical functionalities of ferroelectrics with the robustness, easy formability and low cost of glass. The FCGA seamlessly merges the passive integrated optical technology with optically active ferroelectrics structures that are selectively and locally tailored. These materials would provide multiple novel functionalities, such as micro/nano electro-mechanical transducers, sensors; electrically addressable nonlinear waveguides; etc., which will be essential for the next generation of health and environmental monitoring devices, optical communication networks, and consumer electronics. The broad impact of the project is further realized by significantly expanding the current educational programs designed for the undergraduate and pre-college students as well as the public-at-large. They include domestic and international research experience for undergraduates, ?Opto-camps? for middle school children, and collaboration with Tuskegee University - an HBCU institution. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The optimum development of FCGAs requires a fundamental understanding of (i) the controlled single crystal growth by continuous wave (CW) or femtosecond (fs) laser light under glass to paraelectric to ferroelectric transformation, (ii) the nature of ferroelectric response of small dimension crystals in a confined dielectric medium, and (iii) control of ferroelectric and crystal order on the micro and nano scale. To address these issues, a team of two PIs and a collaborator from Kyoto University are applying their combined expertise in materials synthesis, laser-controlled fabrication, ferroelectric manipulation and optical characterization to a model oxide glass system that is likely to crystallize congruently and form ferroelectric crystal by reconfiguration of local atomic structure alone with no change of composition, thus simplifying theoretical interpretation of data. The exact mechanism of single crystal growth by laser irradiation is investigated as a function of laser characteristics with supporting structural information from electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray techniques. The ferroelectric state of confined crystals is characterized by novel spectroscopic techniques pioneered by the PIs. Time permitting, experiments are planned for establishing the concepts and viability of FCGA in an infrared transmitting chalcogenide glass system by CW laser light.