| NSF Org: |
ECCS Div Of Electrical, Commun & Cyber Sys |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 31, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | December 12, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1842350 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Lawrence Goldberg
ECCS Div Of Electrical, Commun & Cyber Sys ENG Directorate For Engineering |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $130,028.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $138,028.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2020 = $8,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
257 FULLER RD ALBANY NY US 12203-3613 (518)437-8689 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
257 Fuller Road Albany NY US 12203-3603 |
| Primary Place of Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EPMD-ElectrnPhoton&MagnDevices |
| Primary Program Source: |
01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
Single-photon emission at low-loss telecom C-band wavelength ~ 1550 nm is a critical component for the development of future long-distance quantum information and communication technologies using the existing fiber-optical-based infrastructure or in free-space. Recent attempts at realizing a telecom C-band single-photon source are limited by their unsuitable emission wavelength, and stringent fabrication and operation temperature requirements. This EAGER project proposes to develop critical device properties enabled by the development of erbium-doped silicon carbide photonic crystal nanostructures towards the realization for the first-time of room-temperature CMOS-compatible single-photon emitters at 1550 nm. The nanowire-array-based photonic crystal structures are grown in a self-aligned manner at predetermined positions through an innovative chemical synthesis route. The nanostructures not only facilitate the deterministic placement of erbium ions in the nanowires but are also pivotal in engineering the erbium-induced 1550 nm emission. The underlying hypothesis is that erbium integrated into photonic crystal nanostructures can experience a redistribution of its spontaneous light emission. By properly engineering photonic crystal nanostructures it is possible to control which optical modes are allowed or inhibited due to the photonic bandgap effect. The proposed scalable nanostructure platform provides high design adaptability, tunability, and integration capabilities with silicon nanoelectronics. The attained knowledge can be transformative as this project addresses key challenges and unknowns about the material and quantum properties of erbium ions in technologically-friendly silicon carbide photonic nanostructures. The fundamental understanding of these photonic nanostructures can expedite the incubation of pathways towards ubiquitous advances in nanophotonics, defect-based biological imaging and sensing, quantum storage of single-photons and long-distance quantum signal processing. Research and education are integrated as this project focuses on promoting scientific literacy through direct students' involvement in the proposed research. Students conducting this research will be trained and educated in a multifaceted research environment.
The goal is to surpass the performance of state-of-the-art telecom quantum emission in solid-state hosts by integrating erbium ions into silicon carbide ultrathin photonic crystal nanostructures. The project involves fundamental research in developing vital properties, such as high precision placement and reduced non-radiative decay of erbium ions in silicon-based nanostructured materials, high pumping efficiency, photoluminescence yield, and photostability, enabled by this new class of silicon carbide photonic nanostructures, and the understanding of their interactions with external optical excitations. Two interlocked hypothesis-based research thrusts will be pursued: (a) Development of novel silicon carbide photonic crystal nanostructures through the deterministic placement of nanowires and erbium ions, and (b) Modification of the telecom-1540 nm emission of erbium ions by silicon carbide photonic nanostructures. The effects of erbium ion implantation (e.g., ion dose, incident angles) on the structural modifications (e.g., defect accumulation, ion redistribution) of nanowires will be explored to achieve single erbium ion isolation. Simulated statistical-distributions of the implanted ions and the structural properties of erbium-doped nanowire-based structures will be correlated with their optical characteristics to develop optimal ion implantation conditions to maximize the efficiency of erbium-induced 1540 nm emission. Theory and modeling will be employed to navigate experimental efforts and to engineeringly modify the erbium quantum luminescence properties, and light-matter interactions that are enabled by the photonic crystal nanostructures.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Over the last decade, single-photon emitters have played a significant role in several emerging quantum technologies (quantum key distribution, quantum communications, quantum metrology, and quantum sensing), which can profoundly impact our lives as we are moving towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The realization of scalable on-chip quantum devices requires novel nanostructured materials that must be compatible and can be integrated with existing electronic circuits, waveguide architectures, and current chip-scale and silicon process technology. The accurate placement of rare-earth ions into silicon-based wide-bandgap nanostructured materials with high integration functionality, such as silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires (NWs), can serve as critical building-blocks towards the implementation of such quantum devices. In particular, rare earth-erbium (Er3+)-doped materials, as Er3+ ions emit at the technologically important wavelength of ~1.5 μm, are one of the most promising candidates for quantum storage of single photons and signal processing.
To this end, we have introduced a new class of fab-compatible nanophotonic structures based on scalable SiC NW-based photonic structures doped with Er ions. The ultrathin NWs were fabricated in a self-aligned manner through a novel catalyst-free chemical-vapor-deposition synthesis route, without the use of a lithographic-pattern-transfer technique. This tailorable photonic platform provides high design adaptability, tunability, and integration capabilities. The nanofabrication scheme reduces defect density and allows precise control over the geometry of the NWs. Furthermore, these NW-based structures enable the integration of Er3+ ions with an accuracy of 10 nm, an improvement on the current state-of-the-art ion implantation processes. In addition, they are pivotal in engineering the Er3+-induced 1.5 μm emission, which is the telecommunication wavelength used in optical fibers. We have demonstrated broadband and efficient excitation characteristics for Er3+ in these nanostructures with a room-temperature absorption cross-section two-order larger than typical values for direct absorption in rare-earth-doped quantum materials. Additionally, these nanophotonic structures exhibit photostable and polarized Er3+ emission and near radiative-limited lifetimes, which are essential properties for the development of nanophotonics and quantum photonics in the telecom range.
Through this project, we have created a testbed essential to carry out fundamental research in developing vital properties of technologically and fab-friendly SiC nanophotonic structures. Furthermore, the observed optical characteristics from these structures address constraints that limit progress in telecom single-photon emitters. Therefore, these nanophotonic structures provide a promising route to the development of scalable nanophotonics and the formation of single-photon emitters in the telecom optical wavelength band.
Last Modified: 10/28/2021
Modified by: Spyridon Galis
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Silicon carbide nanowire-based nanophotonic structures enable strong coupling and on-demand placement of rare-earth erbium ions in the nanostructures, demonstrating substantial enhancement of the technologically significant erbium 1540 nm emission.Alex Kaloyeros, Spyros GalisCopyrightedSpyridon GalisSilicon carbide nanowire-based nanophotonic structures
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