CNIC: Hybrid Microcavity-based Optical Switches and Pulsed Lasers

这项CNIC提案的目标是促进南加州大学(美国)和韩国科技大学(韩国)之间的国际合作。研究的重点是开发一种基于石墨烯涂层二氧化硅微环谐振腔的集成光开关和脉冲激光器。由于石墨烯极高的非线性系数和光腔内长的光子寿命，将产生飞秒激光脉冲。在其他应用中，这种行为可以用作超高速光开关。在计划过程中，石墨烯层将被共形沉积在二氧化硅环形微腔和光纤上。随后，光将耦合到石墨烯-二氧化硅光纤和腔中，并将研究和表征高频脉冲行为。超快光开关有许多应用，最显著的是提高光网络的数据传输速率。因此，具有更高性能(速度、寿命或功耗)的光开关的发展将对社会产生巨大影响。该提案将使研究生能够在国外参加合作者在韩国的研究小组，沉浸在他们的实验室中。这项CNIC提案支持的外展工作包括招收本科生参加为期一年的研究项目，以及将研究经验纳入本科课程。该CNIC奖由国际科学与工程部(OIIA/ISE)资助，电气、通信和网络系统工程部(ENG/ECCS)联合资助。

The goal of this CNIC proposal is to catalyze an international collaboration between the University of Southern California (USA) and KIST (Korea). The focus of the research effort is to develop an integrated optical switch and a pulsed laser based on a graphene coated silica micro-toroid resonant cavity. As a result of the extremely high non-linear coefficient of graphene and the long photon lifetime within the optical cavity, femtosecond laser pulses will be generated. This behavior can be used as an ultra-fast optical switch, among other applications. During the course of the program, graphene layers will be conformally deposited on silica toroidal microcavities as well as optical fibers. Subsequently, light will be coupled into the graphene-silica fiber and cavity, and the high frequency pulse behavior will be studied and characterized.Ultrafast optical switches have numerous applications, most notably increasing the data transfer rate of optical networks. As such, the development of an optical switch with improved performance (speed, lifetime or power consumption) will greatly impact society. The proposal will enable a graduate student to spend time abroad in the collaborator's research group in Korea, immersed in their lab. The outreach effort supported by this CNIC proposal includes recruiting undergraduate students to participate in year-long research projects, and incorporating research experience in an undergraduate course. This CNIC award is funded by the International Science and Engineering section (OIIA/ISE) with co-funding from the Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems division of Engineering (ENG/ECCS).