High Performance Optically-Controlled RF Switches with Ferroelectric Latching for Advanced Reconfigurable mmW-THz Circuits

该项目将研究和开发一种新颖的毫米波至太赫兹(MmW-THz)宽带射频开关技术，使用光波控制和铁电材料的独特特性来提供卓越的性能。该项目产生的开关将使下一代毫米波-太赫兹传感、成像和通信系统所需的新型可调或可重新配置电路和组件的开发成为可能。这是一个重要的技术领域，有着广泛的应用，将为社会带来巨大的好处。例如，基于开关的可重构毫米波-太赫兹滤光器可以实现光谱传感和成像，用于物质或材料识别和检测、先进的化学和生物传感、疾病或癌症诊断以及国防和安全筛查。此外，采用基于开关的波束控制或波束成形相控阵天线系统和可调谐滤波器的自适应毫米波-太赫兹通信网络可能对未来6G或更远的蜂窝网络、物联网、芯片到芯片超高速互连、4K电视信号广播、多媒体下载以及安全的军事和国防通信链路产生深远影响。该项目还为学生提供了重要的教育机会。从事这个项目的研究生将沉浸在跨学科的研究中，包括半导体物理、电磁波传播、先进的太赫兹系统设计和表征，从单个器件到电路和系统层面。本科生，包括那些来自代表不足的群体的学生，将通过暑期研究项目或荣誉论文研究参与进来，并由主要研究人员指导。最后，该项目还将通过NSF的教师研究经验(RET)计划，通过实验室参观和STEM实践活动，在当地中学和高中促进科学和工程教育。本项目的目标是开发和演示一种基于半导体(如硅、锗等)中自由载流子的光调制的新型毫米波-太赫兹宽带开关技术。采用新颖的器件和电路架构，提供卓越的交换性能和增强的功能。毫米波-太赫兹器件设计与半导体中光生载流子的光学控制相结合，包括使用非接触式电容耦合结构来增强载流子调制，是超越当前技术状态的器件性能进步的核心。此外，使用铁电材料氧化锆(HZO)的开关/锁存将被集成到光调制开关中，首次展示了非易失性毫米波-太赫兹开关状态保持以及低功耗。此外，新的开关可以使用计算机编程的光模式来利用空间光学调制，使它们适合大规模阵列应用。这项研究将带来紧凑、低功耗、易于制造和集成到电路和系统中的光控宽带毫米波-太赫兹开关，同时提供优于传统半导体开关、新兴相变材料(PCM)对应开关和一些微电子机械系统(MEMS)开关的性能。新的开关将用于实验演示毫米波-太赫兹可调和可重新配置的原型，包括基于波导平台的可重新配置的滤波器和基于开关的波束控制或波束形成天线。通过使用该项目开发的射频开关技术，可以实现下一代传感、成像和通信系统所需的更先进的可调或可重配置的毫米波-太赫兹电路和组件。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project will investigate and develop a novel millimeter-wave to terahertz (mmW-THz) wideband RF switching technology using lightwave control and the unique properties of ferroelectric materials to deliver superior performance. The switches resulting from this project will enable the development of a novel class of more advanced tunable or reconfigurable circuits and components required in the next generation mmW-THz sensing, imaging and communication systems. This is an important technological area with a wide range of applications that will generate significant benefits to society. For example, switch-based reconfigurable mmW-THz filters may enable spectroscopic sensing and imaging for substance or material identification and detection, advanced chemical and biological sensing, disease or cancer diagnostics, and defense and security screening. In addition, adaptive mmW-THz communication networks employing switch-based beam-steering or beam-forming phased-array antenna systems and tunable filters may have profound impact on future 6G or beyond cellular networks, the internet-of-things, chip-to-chip ultra-high-speed interconnections, 4K TV signal broadcasting, multimeda downloading, and secure military and defense communication links. The project also provides significant educational opportunities for students. The graduate students working on this project will be immersed in an interdisciplinary research including semiconductor physics, electromagnetic wave propagation, advanced THz system design and characterization from single device to circuit and system levels. Undergraduate students, including those from underrepresented groups, will be involved through summer research program or honors thesis research and mentored by the principal investigators. Finally, this project will also promote science and engineering education among local middle schools and high schools through NSF Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program with lab tours and hands-on STEM activities. The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate a novel mmW-THz wideband switching technology based on optical-modulation of free carriers in semiconductors (e.g., silicon, germanium, etc.) using novel device and circuit architectures to deliver superior switching performance and enhanced functionality. The combination of mmW-THz device design with optical control of photo-induced carriers in semiconductors, including the use of non-contact capacitively coupled structures to enhance carrier modulation, is central to the advancement of device performance beyond the current state of the art. In addition, switching/latching using ferroelectric material hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) will be integrated into the optically modulated switches, providing the first demonstration of non-volatile mmW-THz switch state retention as well as low power consumption. Furthermore, the new switches can exploit spatial optical modulation using computer-programmed light patterns, making them suitable for large-scale array applications. This research will lead to optically controlled wideband mmW-THz switches that are compact, offer low power consumption, and are easy to fabricate and integrate into circuits and systems, while simultaneously providing performance superior to conventional semiconductor switches, emerging phase-change material (PCM) counterparts, and some micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches. The new switches will be employed to experimentally demonstrate mmW-THz tunable and reconfigurable prototypes including reconfigurable filters based on waveguide platforms and switch-based beam-steering or beam-forming antennas. By using the RF switching technology developed in this project, more advanced tunable or reconfigurable mmW-THz circuits and components required in the next generation sensing, imaging and communication systems can be realized.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.