Small lasers: Towards future photonic technologies

从2012年到2040年，全球能源需求预计将增长近50%。利用新的节能技术应对这一挑战至关重要。PI的研究利用高质量、低维的材料来开发下一代设备。该提议的研究继续了PI的努力，通过创新iii族氮化纳米结构的光子器件来提高能量使用效率，远远超过目前的技术水平。这个项目代表了跨多学科传播科学知识和培养新一代高素质科学家的理想结合，与加拿大其他任何项目都不同。它提供在5年的时间里培养至少4名学生（2名博士和2名孟）。******长期目标是在可见光和深紫外波段实现紧凑（几立方厘米大小）和高功率（瓦级）纳米激光器。为了实现这一长期目标，必须了解拥有如此高功率激光器的基本限制，例如，关键因素是什么以及优化条件是什么。因此，在短期内，PI团队的目标是通过开发具有iii族氮化物纳米结构的颜色可调深紫外光子晶体激光器，建立对这些基本限制的基本理解，建立在PI的初步结果和对这些材料的丰富经验的基础上。为了实现这两个短期目标，PI团队将制定策略和构建模块，以实现未来的高功率紧凑型纳米激光器。******为什么这项研究很重要？这仅仅是因为我们都需要光，而激光是产生光的最节能的技术；聚焦光带与我们的日常生活密切相关。在可见光方面，它们将启用可用于激光照明、Li-Fi等的光源；仅以Li-Fi为例，预计到2023年市场规模将超过700亿美元。在深紫外线中，它们将实现颠覆性技术，例如便携式消毒和生物/化学传感装置。******这个计划将对加拿大人产生深远的影响。加拿大有广阔的北部地区，那里有偏远的社区和部署的工人在那里工作。在这些领域，能源效率和设备可移植性至关重要，因为传统能源，如电网，很难实现。高功率紧凑型纳米激光技术有望通过该项目创造，将积极影响他们的生活质量，从照明到饮用水消毒，生物/化学危害检测等。这个项目也可能影响国际社会。最近，一位想要加入PI研究的学生在电子邮件中提到，这项研究非常有吸引力，因为潜在的技术可以帮助学生祖国的人们。很明显，这个节目对人类社会的影响将超过它对科学技术的影响

The global energy demand is projected to increase by almost 50% from 2012 to 2040. It is critical to address this challenge with new energy efficient technologies. The PI's research exploits high quality, low-dimensional materials to develop next generation devices. The proposed research continues the PI's endeavor in improving the efficiency of using energy through innovating photonic devices with group-III nitride nanostructures, far beyond the current state of the art. This program represents an ideal blend of dissemination of scientific knowledge across multiple disciplines and training of a new generation of high caliber scientists, and is unlike any other in Canada. It offers to train at least 4 students (2 PhD and 2 MEng) over the 5 year period.******The long-term goal is to realize compact (size of a few cm3) and high power (watt-level) nanolasers in the visible and deep ultraviolet optical bands. To reach this long-term goal, it is imperative to understand the basic limitations of having such high power lasers, e.g., what are the key factors and what would be the optimized conditions. Therefore, in the short term, the PI's team aim to establish a fundamental understanding of these basic limitations, through developing color tunable and deep ultraviolet photonic crystal lasers with group-III nitride nanostructures, built upon the PI's preliminary results and intensive experience with these materials. Achieving these two short-term goals, the PI's team will establish strategies and building blocks to enable future high power compact nanolasers. ******Why is this research important? It is simply because we all need light and lasers are the most energy efficient technology to produce light; and the focused optical bands are highly relevant to our daily lives. In the visible, they will enable light sources that can be used for laser lighting, Li-Fi, among others; and with Li-Fi alone the projected market size is over $70B US dollars by 2023. In the deep ultraviolet, they will enable disruptive technologies, e.g., portable disinfection and bio/chemical sensing devices. ******This program will impact Canadians profoundly. Canada has vast north territories, where there are remote communities and deployed workers working there. In these areas, energy efficiency and device portability are critically important, as traditional energy sources, e.g., power grids, are hard to implement. The high power compact nanolaser technologies expected to be created through this program will positively impact their life quality, from lighting to drinking water disinfection, bio/chemical hazards detection, and so on. This program could also influence international communities. Recently, a student who wants to join the PI's research mentioned in email that the research is very attractive, because the potential technologies can help people in the student's home country. Clearly, the impact of this program on human society will surpass its impact on science and technology.**