Nonlinear optics has been a rapidly growing scientific field in recent decades and holds promise for critical applications in optical information processing, telecommunications, and etc. Because the nonlinear coefficients for most materials are typically low, exploring new materials with higher nonlinear responses has always been one of the greatest challenges in this field. As a distinct research field, plasmonics has emerged as a novel approach to manipulate light at nanoscales. Recent advances in nanofabrication enable plasmonic structures at nanometer scales, leading to exceptionally high nonlinear responses due to the quantum size effect. This project aims to combine the field of quantum plasmonics with nonlinear optics to discover new optical materials with extremely high nonlinear responses and to apply such new materials for on-chip supercontinuum generation with an ultra-small footprint. This project involves fundamental science exploration, nano-material design and fabrications, on-chip supercontinuum generation device design and fabrication, and optical characterizations. This research will address fundamental issues at the cross-section of nanoplasmonics and nonlinear optics, and train graduate and undergraduate students in important areas of nanomaterials design and growth, optical characterization, device fabrication, nano-science, and nanotechnology. The transformative goal is to provide the scientific underpinnings of next generation integrated optical components based on engineered nanomaterials with extremely high nonlinearities. Research-based curriculum development, web-based dissemination of research results, journal publications and conference/workshop presentations, will impact more students including those at the pre-college level.
This project addresses a new way to create strong nonlinear responses in a quantum engineered system and how to use it to build an ultra-compact supercontinuum generation device. The nonlinear optical properties of metal quantum wells will be systematically investigated. A dynamic quantum electrostatic model will be developed to accurately describe and predict the nonlinear responses of the metal quantum well systems. The state-of-the-art quantum plasmonic films will be fabricated at feature size down to 1-3 nm. Based on our theoretical estimation and preliminary experimental results, the quantum plasmonic systems will lead to the record high third order nonlinear susceptibility. The proposed quantum plasmonic waveguide-based supercontinuum generation devices, if successfully demonstrated, would be the first supercontinuum light source with micrometer footprint, enabling new opportunities for high-density integration and on-chip applications. Other than proposing specific individual concept and device, the PI envisions this project as a paradigm shift in the way a nonlinear material is constructed and implemented. Due to the large transition matrix elements and the high electron density in ultrathin metal films, quantum plasmonic structures can be tailored to possess extremely high nonlinear responses at desired operation frequencies. The outcome of this research will fill up knowledge void in both fields of plasmonics and nonlinear optics and pave the way to a new generation of strong nonlinear materials that may find important applications in integrated nonlinear optics.
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.
