GOALI: Optically Functional Surfaces for Photonic Devices

该GOALI计划的目标是通过(i)采用可定制折射率的沉积技术和（ii）光刻结构的折射率控制表面来展示光学功能表面。这种光学功能表面的好处将在光伏太阳能电池和发光二极管中得到证明。该项目是与Magnolia太阳能公司的合作成果，该公司致力于开展光学功能表面技术的联合研究，并将其商业化用于光伏应用。在光学科学中，介质的折射率是最基本的量，需要同时控制(i)折射率剖面和（ii）表面几何（结构）。该项目的智力价值在于展示了一类新的光学功能表面，并将这些表面应用于光伏太阳能电池和发光二极管中。由于折射率的基本性质，可定制折射率薄膜有望产生深远的影响。教育目标是：(1)培养和促进研究生的智力发展；(2)提高本科生特别是国内学生的兴趣，并使这些学生参与前沿研究；(3)让学生与我们合作公司的工程师并肩工作；(4)增加弱势群体和未被充分代表的群体的参与。新的研究方向，包括新的光学材料在器件中的应用，为学生提供了一个很好的机会，在一个令人兴奋的领域接受教育和训练。

The objective of this GOALI program is to demonstrate optically functional surfaces by (i) employment of a deposition technique that allows for tailorable refractive indices and by (ii) lithographically structuring of refractive-index-controlled surfaces. The benefits resulting from such optically functional surfaces will be demonstrated in photo-voltaic solar cells and light-emitting diodes. The program is a collaborative effort with Magnolia Solar Company, a company committed to conduct joint research in optically-functional-surface technology and commercializing it for photo-voltaic applications. In optical sciences, the refractive index of a medium is the most fundamental quantity and it is desirable to control both the (i) refractive index profile as well as (ii) the surface geometry (structure). The intellectual merit of the proposed project lies in the demonstration of a new class of optically functional surfaces, and in the employment of these surfaces in photo-voltaic solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Due to the fundamental nature of the refractive index, tailorable-refractive-index films are anticipated to be transformative with far-reaching impact.The educational goals are (i) training and furthering of the intellectual growth of graduate students, (ii) raising the interest of undergraduate students particularly of domestic students and involvement of these students in leading-edge research, (iii) allowing students to work side-by-side with engineers from our partner company, and (iv) increasing participation of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. The new research direction, including the application of new optical materials to devices, provides a great opportunity for students to be educated and trained in an exciting field.