PFI-TT: Concentrating Photodetector Chips for Next-Generation Optical Communication, Sensing, and Imaging Systems

这一创新-技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目更广泛的商业潜力在于将超快光探测器系统与非常紧凑的传感和成像系统中的创新光集中技术相集成。开发的系统将通过降低噪声、串扰、尺寸和成本来提高光探测器的灵敏度、速度和检测效率。该项目的成果有可能对医疗保健、环境监测和通信等各个行业产生深远影响，因为它提高了捕捉即使是最微弱的光信号的灵敏度，并促进了自动驾驶和高速成像等实时应用。此外，该项目的商业可行性值得注意，因为与现有解决方案相比，拟议的技术将提供更高的性能和成本效益。为了实现这些目标，由一名PI、一名博士后科学家、一名研究生和一名本科生组成的协作团队将与一名技术商业化专家一起接受培训。该团队将专注于开发使用不同半导体系统的概念验证原型，并评估其在实际系统中的性能。拟议的项目旨在解决与制造用于激光雷达、光通信以及医疗和农业成像等新兴技术的高灵敏度光电探测器阵列相关的挑战。探测器阵列中的每个像素都包含一个探测器，以及控制电路和其他信号处理元件。这使得每个像素中只有一小部分可用于捕获入射光，导致检测效率降低。所提出的方法将通过将光子从探测器外部的死区引导到探测器区域来增加光子收集能力。这将提高吸收效率并减少各个探测器之间的干扰。该项目还将设计一个光电探测器阵列，每个探测器元件在相同的光照下具有独特和不同的响应。这将通过整合不同尺寸、周期和形状的表面纳米结构来实现。这样的能力使得硅中的超小型成像系统可以进行重建计算成像，而不需要庞大的组件。这项研究有可能显著提高光电探测器阵列的性能和效率，使高灵敏度和微型化至关重要的各个领域取得进展。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 broader commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project lies in the integration of an ultra-fast light detector system with an innovative light concentration technology in very compact sensing and imaging systems. The developed system will have enhanced light detector sensitivity, speed, and detection efficiency by reducing the noise, crosstalk, size, and cost. The outcomes of this project have the potential to deeply impact various industries, such as healthcare, environmental monitoring, and communications, by enabling improved sensitivity to capture even the faintest light signals and facilitating real-time applications like autonomous driving and high-speed imaging. Moreover, the project's commercial viability is notable, as the proposed technology will offer enhanced performance and cost-effectiveness compared to existing solutions. To achieve these goals, a collaborative team consisting of a PI, a postdoctoral scientist, a graduate student, and an undergraduate student will receive training alongside a technology commercialization expert. The team will focus on developing proof-of-concept prototypes using different semiconductor systems and evaluating their performance in practical systems.The proposed project aims to address the challenges associated with manufacturing highly sensitive photodetector arrays used in emerging technologies such as LiDAR, optical communications, and medical and agricultural imaging. Each pixel in a detector array contains a detector, along with control circuits and other signal-processing elements. This leaves only a fraction of each pixel available for capturing the incoming light, leading to reduced detection efficiency. The proposed approach will increase the photon collection capability by guiding the photons towards the detector region from the dead zone outside the detectors. This will result in increased absorption efficiency and reduced interference between individual detectors. This project will also design an array of photodetectors with unique and distinct responses in each detector element under identical illumination. This will be achieved by integrating surface nanostructures with varying dimensions, periodicity, and shapes. Such capabilities allow ultra-miniaturized imaging systems in silicon for reconstructive computational imaging without the need for bulky components. This research has the potential to significantly improve the performance and efficiency of photodetector arrays, enabling advancements in various fields where high sensitivity and miniaturization are crucial.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.