Collaborative Research: Phase-Change Materials for Strong Optical Modulation and Nonvolatile Optical Memory

非技术描述：操纵光束属性的能力改变了我们对物理宇宙的理解。人们正在探索光子束，以处理信息，探测固体的性质，并了解大脑如何对外部刺激做出反应并与之相互作用。以不同寻常的方式与光相互作用的新半导体通常构成了增强光子与物质有效耦合的基石。该项目调查了新的半导体氧化物系统在新兴的光子设备中的潜力。研究的目的是探索SmNiO_3薄膜的光学和电学性质，这种薄膜在室温附近具有可控的相变，可以通过改变电子结构来系统地诱导，从而在光学调制器和光存储器等光电子器件中潜在的应用。该项目是材料科学家和光子学工程师之间的合作，将多学科的技能结合在一起，研究纳米光子学中包含新的薄膜氧化物材料的前沿课题。该项目培养研究生和本科生在材料科学、纳米光子学和光电子学之间进行研究。该项目让不同的学生参与跨学科研究，包括材料生长、器件设计、计算机建模、无尘室纳米制造以及材料/器件的光学/电子表征。技术描述：该项目研究了电子掺杂钙钛矿作为新型相变材料在未来光调制器件中的潜力，光存储所需的光调制器件是具有多个状态的大脑激发的光子器件。这个合作项目的研究目标是阐明电子结合过程中非挥发性的基本机制和可靠性，并了解通过光学路径研究的相变速度的限制。研究小组利用薄膜材料合成、电子衍射、载流子传输测量、光学显微镜和光谱分析相结合的方法来研究选定的钙钛矿氧化物的纳米结构和光学性质。该研究小组使用光学天线的二维阵列--超表面，来最大限度地提高高度受限的光与相变材料薄膜之间的相互作用。该项目涉及不同的研究生和本科生，研究纳米光子学的前沿课题。材料科学家和光子学研究人员之间的合作提高了研究经验，拓宽了参与学生的技术视野。

Non-technical Description: The ability to manipulate properties of light beams has changed our understanding of the physical universe. Photon beams are being explored to process information, probe the nature of solids and understand how the brain responds to and interacts with external stimuli. New semiconductors that interact with light in unusual ways often form the cornerstone for enhancing the effective coupling of photons to matter. The project investigates the potential of new semiconducting oxide systems in emerging photonic devices. The research goal is to explore optical and electronic properties of thin film SmNiO3 that has a controllable phase change near room temperature that can be systematically induced by changing the electronic structure for potential applications in optoelectronic devices such as optical modulators and optical memories. The project is collaborative between materials scientists and photonics engineers to bring multi-disciplinary skills together to work on cutting-edge topics in nanophotonics incorporating new thin film oxide materials. The project trains graduate and undergraduate students to carry out research at the intersection between materials science, nanophotonics, and optoelectronics. The project engages diverse students in interdisciplinary research that encompasses materials growth, device design, computer modeling, cleanroom nanofabrication, and optical/electronic characterization of materials/devices. Technical Description: This project investigates the potential of electron-doped perovskites as novel phase-changing materials for future light modulation devices needed for optical memory, brain-inspired photonic devices with multiple states. The research goals of this collaborative project are to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms and reliability of non-volatility of the electron incorporation process and to understand the limits on the speed of phase change studied by optical routes. The research team uses a combination of thin film materials synthesis, electron diffraction, carrier transport measurements, optical microscopy and spectroscopy to study the nanostructure and optical properties of selected perovskite oxides. The research team uses ?metasurfaces?, which are two-dimensional arrays of optical antennas, to maximize the interaction between intensely confined light and thin films of phase-change materials. The project involves diverse graduate and undergraduate students to work on frontier topics in nanophotonics. Collaborations between materials scientists and photonics researchers enhances the research experience and broaden the technical horizons of the participating students.