EAGER: High-performance Optical-phonon-based Terahertz Sources Operating at Room Temperature

EAGER：在室温下运行的基于光学声子的高性能太赫兹源

• 批准号: 1748518
• 负责人: Peter Qiang Liu
• 金额: $ 8.54万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1748518&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; performance; Optical; phonon; based

Title: High-performance Optical-phonon-based Terahertz Sources Operating at Room TemperatureNon-technical DescriptionThe mid-infrared (MIR) to terahertz (THz) spectral range has its unique scientific and technological significance, as it hosts the strongest and fingerprint-like absorption lines of countless molecular species, making it the ideal spectral range for developing sensing technologies with superior selectivity and sensitivity for a broad range of applications. Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are currently the preferred light sources for many applications in this spectral range, thanks to their compactness, convenient operation and high output power. However, in the THz region the performance of QCLs is still not sufficient for various real-world applications. THz QCLs have much lower performance than MIR QCLs, and the highest operating temperature of THz QCLs is still limited to ~200K. Furthermore, currently no QCL can operate within the 5 THz to 11THz range. In this exploratory project, we plan to develop a new type of compact, high-performance and room-temperature operating THz sources to cover this "gap" spectral range. The proposed devices are based on an untested but promising new operation principle, and the successful demonstration of such devices will bring transformative impacts to the research field of THz sources and enable various applications. Therefore, the proposed research is suitable for the NSF EAGER program. This project will allow graduate and undergraduate students to actively participate in cutting-edge research, and acquire the knowledge, skills, experiences and broad perspectives necessary for their future leadership in scientific research and technology development on the competitive global stage. Combining research with education and outreach activities will also be a focus of our work, aiming at benefiting students of all age-groups and backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups.Technical DescriptionThe objective of this project is to systematically explore how to realize a new type of THz sources based on a fundamentally different device operation principle. The device operation principle consists of two key processes: (1) generating optical phonons by resonant inter-subband transitions in multiple-quantum-wells (MQWs), and (2) transferring the energy from the generated optical phonons to resonant THz antennae which then emit photons into free space. As the device operation principle is not sensitive to temperature, such THz sources should operate well at room temperature and above. Designs of the MQWs and the THz antennae will be optimized to make both processes efficient, leading to a high overall energy conversion efficiency which is potentially orders of magnitude higher than that of typical THz QCLs. Moreover, such THz sources have a surface-emitting configuration, so the output power scales up with the device area. The proposed research may also allow us to gain new and/or deeper insights into the interesting and complex physics underlying the interplay between inter-subband transitions in MQWs, optical phonons and electromagnetic resonances of photonic structures. Interactions involving all three excitations have not been systematically studied. A better understanding of the underlying physics will guide us to improve the device design, and may inspire us to pursue new possibilities of more advanced devices.

标题：在室温下进行的高性能光学 - 基于phonon的terahertz来源，在室温下，中型红（MiR）（MIR）具有其独特的科学和技术意义，因为它具有最强和指纹的吸收范围，使其具有最高的分子范围，使其具有理想的范围，从而使无效的范围具有理想的范围，从而使其具有理想的光谱范围，从而使其具有理想的范围。申请。量子级联激光器（QCLS）目前是该光谱范围内许多应用的首选光源，这要归功于其紧凑，方便的操作和高输出功率。但是，在THZ地区，QCL的性能仍然不足以用于各种现实世界应用。 THZ QCL的性能比miR QCL低得多，而THZ QCL的最高工作温度仍限制为〜200K。此外，目前没有QCL可以在5 THZ至11THz范围内运行。在这个探索性项目中，我们计划开发一种新型的紧凑，高性能和室温操作THZ来源，以涵盖此“差距”光谱范围。拟议的设备基于未经测试但有希望的新操作原则，成功演示此类设备将对THZ来源的研究领域产生变革性的影响，并实现各种应用。因此，拟议的研究适合NSF急切计划。该项目将使毕业生和本科生能够积极参与前沿研究，并获得其在竞争性全球舞台上的科学研究和技术发展中所必需的知识，技能，经验和广泛的观点。将研究与教育和外展活动相结合也将是我们工作的重点，旨在使所有年龄段和背景的学生受益，包括来自代表性不足的小组的学生。技术描述该项目的目的是系统地探索如何实现基于从根本上不同设备操作原则的新型THZ来源。设备操作原理由两个关键过程组成：（1）通过在多量器 - 孔（MQWS）中通过谐振的子带中产生光学声子，（2）（2）将能量从产生的光学声子传递到谐振剂THZ天线，然后将其发射到免费空间中。由于设备操作原理对温度不敏感，因此这种THZ来源应在室温及以上运行良好。 MQW和THZ天线的设计将被优化以使这两个过程有效，从而导致高总能量转换效率，这可能比典型的THZ QCL高的数量级。此外，这样的THZ源具有表面发射配置，因此输出功率随设备区域扩展。拟议的研究还可能使我们能够获得新的和/或更深入的见解，以了解MQW，光学声子和光子结构的电磁共振之间相互作用的有趣而复杂的物理学。涉及所有三种激发的相互作用尚未系统地研究。对基础物理的更好理解将指导我们改善设备设计，并可能激发我们追求更高级设备的新可能性。