Photonic crystals and light-matter interactions

光子带隙(PBG)材料是一种周期性有序的微结构，有助于在微观水平上捕获和控制光。这些光子晶体(PC)在以下方面有应用：(I)光学微芯片上的光通信和信息处理；(Ii)通过微激光的新型相干照明和通过金属PBG灯丝的白炽光照明；(Iii)通过中空的PBG光纤传输用于外科的激光；以及(Iv)增强PBG薄膜中的太阳能捕获和收集。PBG材料也是与其工程电磁环境中的光-物质相互作用相关的基础科学发现的平台。提出的研究计划旨在通过(I)理论设计、建模和模拟，(Ii)合作研究以合成所需的功能光子晶体结构，以及(Iii)合作光学实验，来促进PBG材料的基础科学和实际应用。预计这项研究将为全光微芯片和特定光学信息处理器件的发展提供理论路线图，(Ii)为太阳能电池和白炽灯丝等光子晶体的非标准应用提供详细的平台，以及(Iii)为观察到光子带隙中工程光-物质相互作用所带来的全新量子效应提供洞察力。

Photonic band gap (PBG) materials are engineered, periodically ordered microstructures that facilitate the trapping and control of light on the microscopic level. These photonic crystals (PC's) have applications to (i) optical communications and information processing on an optical microchip, (ii) novel forms of coherent lighting through micro-lasers and incandescent lighting through metallic PBG filaments (iii) laser light delivery for surgery through hollow core PBG fibers, and (iv) enhanced solar energy trapping and harvesting in PBG thin films. PBG materials are also a platform for fundamental scientific discoveries related to light-matter interactions in their engineered electromagnetic environment. The proposed research program aims to advance both the basic science and practical applications of PBG materials through (i) theoretical design, modeling, and simulation, (ii) collaborative research to synthesize the required functional photonic crystal architectures, and (iii) collaborative optical experiments. It is expected that this research will provide (i) a theoretical road map for the development of all-optical microchips and specific optical information processing devices, (ii) provide a detailed platform for nonstandard applications of photonic crystals such as solar cells and incandescent filaments, and (iii) provide insight into the observation of fundamentally new quantum effects enabled by engineering light-matter interactions in a photonic band gap.