EAGER: On-Demand Silicon Carbide Photonic Nanostructures for Quantum Optoelectronics at Telecom Wavelengths

低损耗电信C波段波长~ 1550 nm的单光子发射是使用现有基于光纤的基础设施或自由空间开发未来远距离量子信息和通信技术的关键组成部分。最近实现电信C波段单光子源的尝试受到其不合适的发射波长以及严格的制造和操作温度要求的限制。这个EAGER项目提出通过开发掺铒碳化硅光子晶体纳米结构来开发关键的器件特性，以实现首次在1550 nm处实现室温CMOS兼容的单光子发射器。基于光子晶体阵列的光子晶体结构通过创新的化学合成路线以自对准的方式在预定位置生长。纳米结构不仅有利于铒离子在纳米线中的确定性放置，而且在工程铒诱导的1550 nm发射中也是关键的。基本假设是，集成到光子晶体纳米结构中的铒可以经历其自发光发射的重新分布。通过适当地设计光子晶体纳米结构，可以控制由于光子带隙效应而允许或抑制哪些光学模式。所提出的可扩展的纳米结构平台提供了高的设计适应性，可调性，和集成能力与硅纳米电子。所获得的知识可以是变革性的，因为该项目解决了技术友好的碳化硅光子纳米结构中铒离子的材料和量子特性的关键挑战和未知因素。对这些光子纳米结构的基本理解可以加快培育途径，以实现纳米光子学、基于缺陷的生物成像和传感、单光子量子存储和长距离量子信号处理的普遍进步。该项目将研究和教育结合在一起，重点是通过学生直接参与拟议的研究来促进科学素养。进行这项研究的学生将在一个多方面的研究环境中接受培训和教育。目标是通过将铒离子整合到碳化硅纳米光子晶体纳米结构中，超越固态主机中最先进的电信量子发射性能。该项目涉及开发重要特性的基础研究，例如硅基纳米结构材料中铒离子的高精度放置和减少非辐射衰减，高泵浦效率，光致发光产率和光稳定性，这类新的碳化硅光子纳米结构，以及对它们与外部光激发相互作用的理解。两个相互关联的假设为基础的研究推力将追求：（a）通过确定性的纳米线和铒离子的位置，和（B）的电信-1540 nm发射的铒离子的碳化硅光子纳米结构的修改，新的碳化硅光子晶体纳米结构的发展。铒离子注入的效果（例如，离子剂量，入射角）对结构修饰的影响（例如，缺陷积累、离子再分布）以实现单个铒离子隔离。模拟的注入离子的折射率分布和掺铒的基于铒的结构的结构特性将与它们的光学特性相关联，以开发最佳的离子注入条件，以最大化铒诱导的1540 nm发射的效率。理论和建模将用于指导实验工作，并通过工程方法修改铒量子发光特性，以及光子晶体纳米结构实现的光-物质相互作用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响评审标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Single-photon emission at low-loss telecom C-band wavelength ~ 1550 nm is a critical component for the development of future long-distance quantum information and communication technologies using the existing fiber-optical-based infrastructure or in free-space. Recent attempts at realizing a telecom C-band single-photon source are limited by their unsuitable emission wavelength, and stringent fabrication and operation temperature requirements. This EAGER project proposes to develop critical device properties enabled by the development of erbium-doped silicon carbide photonic crystal nanostructures towards the realization for the first-time of room-temperature CMOS-compatible single-photon emitters at 1550 nm. The nanowire-array-based photonic crystal structures are grown in a self-aligned manner at predetermined positions through an innovative chemical synthesis route. The nanostructures not only facilitate the deterministic placement of erbium ions in the nanowires but are also pivotal in engineering the erbium-induced 1550 nm emission. The underlying hypothesis is that erbium integrated into photonic crystal nanostructures can experience a redistribution of its spontaneous light emission. By properly engineering photonic crystal nanostructures it is possible to control which optical modes are allowed or inhibited due to the photonic bandgap effect. The proposed scalable nanostructure platform provides high design adaptability, tunability, and integration capabilities with silicon nanoelectronics. The attained knowledge can be transformative as this project addresses key challenges and unknowns about the material and quantum properties of erbium ions in technologically-friendly silicon carbide photonic nanostructures. The fundamental understanding of these photonic nanostructures can expedite the incubation of pathways towards ubiquitous advances in nanophotonics, defect-based biological imaging and sensing, quantum storage of single-photons and long-distance quantum signal processing. Research and education are integrated as this project focuses on promoting scientific literacy through direct students' involvement in the proposed research. Students conducting this research will be trained and educated in a multifaceted research environment.The goal is to surpass the performance of state-of-the-art telecom quantum emission in solid-state hosts by integrating erbium ions into silicon carbide ultrathin photonic crystal nanostructures. The project involves fundamental research in developing vital properties, such as high precision placement and reduced non-radiative decay of erbium ions in silicon-based nanostructured materials, high pumping efficiency, photoluminescence yield, and photostability, enabled by this new class of silicon carbide photonic nanostructures, and the understanding of their interactions with external optical excitations. Two interlocked hypothesis-based research thrusts will be pursued: (a) Development of novel silicon carbide photonic crystal nanostructures through the deterministic placement of nanowires and erbium ions, and (b) Modification of the telecom-1540 nm emission of erbium ions by silicon carbide photonic nanostructures. The effects of erbium ion implantation (e.g., ion dose, incident angles) on the structural modifications (e.g., defect accumulation, ion redistribution) of nanowires will be explored to achieve single erbium ion isolation. Simulated statistical-distributions of the implanted ions and the structural properties of erbium-doped nanowire-based structures will be correlated with their optical characteristics to develop optimal ion implantation conditions to maximize the efficiency of erbium-induced 1540 nm emission. Theory and modeling will be employed to navigate experimental efforts and to engineeringly modify the erbium quantum luminescence properties, and light-matter interactions that are enabled by the photonic crystal nanostructures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.