CAREER: Integrated Visible-Light Optical-Phased-Array-Based Devices, Systems, and Applications

集成光学相控阵（opa）能够以紧凑的外形、低成本和非机械方式实现自由空间光的发射和动态控制。受自动驾驶汽车激光雷达传感应用的启发，到目前为止，集成OPA演示主要集中在红外波长下的系统，并强调非机械光束转向。有广泛和高影响的应用，包括增强现实（AR）显示，生物光子学的光学捕获和3D打印，这些应用需要opa在可见波长下工作，并生成复杂的可重构全息发射轮廓。这项工作的目标是相应地开发基于opa的新型集成硅光子学平台、设备和系统，并辅以基于芯片的AR显示器、光学陷阱和3D打印机的概念验证演示。新型opa将影响广泛的消费、军事和医疗应用。拟议的指导、外展和DEI计划将吸引和支持K12、本科和研究生阶段具有不同背景的学生。该项目将包括集成可见光opa平台、设备和系统的新颖基础科学发展，以及基于opa的可见光应用演示的探索性概念验证。这将包括开发(1)基于opa的新型系统架构，使全息发射轮廓可重新配置，并与整个可见光谱兼容，包括第一个可见光2d光束导向opa、主动全息和聚焦opa；(2)一套新型集成可见光器件，包括首个用于紧凑和低功率调制的可见光液晶调制器，用于高效发射的单向可见光光栅天线，可主动调谐的可见光光栅天线，以及用于紧凑跨谱路由的优化宽带无源器件；(3)新型300毫米晶圆级可见光制造平台，具有独特的透明和柔性基板能力；(4)基于opa的新型可见光应用演示，包括首个基于集成光子学的全息AR显示器、基于opa的光学陷阱和基于芯片的3D打印机。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Integrated optical phased arrays (OPAs) enable emission and dynamic control of free-space light in a compact form factor, at low costs, and in a non-mechanical way. Motivated by initial applications in LiDAR sensing for autonomous vehicles, integrated OPA demonstrations so far have primarily focused on systems operating at infrared wavelengths and emphasizing non-mechanically beam steering. There are wide-reaching and high-impact applications including augmented-reality (AR) displays, optical trapping for biphotonics, and 3D printing which require OPAs operating at visible wavelengths and generating complex reconfigurable holographic emission profiles. This work targets corresponding development of novel integrated silicon photonics OPA-based platforms, devices, and systems complemented by proof-of-concept demonstrations of chip-based AR displays, optical traps, and 3D printers. The novel OPAs will impact wide range of consumer, military, and medical applications. The proposed mentoring, outreach, and DEI initiatives will engage and support students with diverse backgrounds at the K12, undergraduate, and graduate level.This project will include novel fundamental-science developments in integrated visible-light OPA-based platforms, devices, and systems, and exploratory proof-of-concept visible-light OPA-based application demonstrations. This will include development of (1) novel OPA-based system architectures that enable reconfigurable holographic emission profiles and compatibility with the entire visible spectrum, including the first visible-light 2D-beam-steering OPAs, active holographic and focusing OPAs; (2) a suite of novel integrated visible-light devices, including the first visible-light liquid-crystal-based modulators for compact and low-power modulation, unidirectional visible-light grating-based antennas for efficient emission, actively-tunable visible-light grating-based antennas, and optimized broadband passive devices for compact spectrum-spanning routing; (3) new 300-mm wafer-scale visible-light fabrication platform with unique transparent and flexible substrate capabilities; and (4) novel visible-light OPA-based application demonstrations, including the first integrated-photonics-based holographic AR display, OPA-based optical trap, and chip-based 3D printer.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.