Micro- and nano-photonic technologies for optical wireless sensors

光纤通信已显示出前所未有的快速数据传输能力，因为光学数据载体具有令人难以置信的高速和宽带潜力。迄今为止，绝大多数已部署的光通信设备和实现都集中在点对点光纤链路上，而拟议的研究计划将扩大这种基于光的通信系统的使用，以实现新的光无线格式。 拟议的研究计划研究用于分布式自由空间光学系统的光无线技术。这种实现方式将光通信的高速潜力与无线移动性的实用性结合在一起。这些新的无线技术的相关挑战与基于光纤的系统明显不同，因为三维功能和移动性是关键的操作考虑因素。拟议的研究将开发新的材料，设备和系统实现，以适应这种未来光学无线系统的多方向性和移动性需求，并最终促进对越来越多的加拿大行业合作者的支持。 拟议的材料、设备和系统实施研究将在拟议的五年计划期间合并。新的光电材料将被开发为纳米复合聚合物-半导体组件，这些材料将被模塑成器件形式，提供增强的方向性和高速操作。在我们的应用微纳米系统设施和我们的集成光学实验室的初步研究已经启动了相关的制造工艺（电点胶）和表征工具（超快折射法）的这种发展。拟议的研究将这些功能结合在一系列新的双向光无线系统实现中，并在我们的光无线测试设施中进行原型验证。完整的研究计划最终将在推动这一新兴的光无线前沿领域发挥重要作用。

Optical fibre communications has demonstrated unprecedented capabilities for rapid data transmission, as there exists incredible high-speed and broadband potential for optical data carriers. To-date, the vast majority of deployed optical communication devices and implementations have focused on point-to-point fibre-based links, and the proposed research program will broaden the use of such light-based communication systems toward new optical wireless formats. The proposed research program investigates optical wireless technologies for use in distributed free-space optical systems. Such implementations bring together the high-speed potential of optical communications with the practicality of wireless mobility. The relevant challenges for these new wireless technologies are markedly different than that of fibre-based systems, as three-dimensional functionality and mobility are critical operation considerations. The proposed research will develop new materials, devices and system implementations to accommodate the multi-directionality and mobility needs of such future optical wireless systems and ultimately foster support for a growing list of Canadian industry collaborators. The proposed research on materials, devices and system implementations will merge over the course of the proposed five-year program. New optoelectronic materials will be developed as nanocomposite polymer-semiconductor assemblies, and these materials will be molded into device forms that offer enhanced directionality and high-speed operation. Preliminary research in our Applied Micro and Nanosystems Facility and our Integrated Optics Laboratory has initiated the relevant fabrication processes (electro-dispensing) and characterization tools (ultrafast refractometry) for such developments. The proposed research will unite these capabilities in a series of new bi-directional optical wireless system implementations, with prototype validation in our optical wireless test-facility. The complete research program will ultimately play an important role in the promotion of this emerging optical wireless frontier.