Collaborative Research: DMREF: Transforming Photonics and Electronics with Digital Alloy Materials

合作研究：DMREF：用数字合金材料改变光子学和电子学

• 批准号: 2119302
• 负责人: Daniel Wasserman
• 金额: $ 80万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2119302&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; DMREF; Transforming; Photonics

Non-technical Description: Materials have been defining human life from the stone age to the current information age. In particular, research in the fields of semiconductor science and electromagnetism underpins the explosive growth of computing, communications, and imaging that affect almost every aspect of modern human life. In this project, the interdisciplinary team of scientists working in the fields of physics, materials science, electromagnetism, scientific computing, and engineering will develop a new material platform that can potentially enable new sources, detectors, and processors of mid-infrared light. The team will utilize the ability to grow crystalline materials one atomic layer at a time to controllably combine dissimilar atoms together, with a goal of simultaneously engineering both electronic and optical properties of the resulting “digital alloys” to dramatically enhance the interaction between slow-but-compact electrons and fast-but-extended photons. The project will promote the development of next-generation leaders of the technical workforce, both through direct training of students and creation of “bite-sized” videos explaining the inner workings of materials science research. A collaboration between the team and AFRL researchers will explore applications of the developed materials in practical devices. Technical Description: The interdisciplinary team of researchers from four institutions working in the fields of materials science, physics, electromagnetism, scientific computing, and engineering will develop a new materials platform for strongly enhancing light-matter interaction in the important mid-infrared frequency range. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a class of materials whose electronic and optical response can be designed in a cohesive manner; in particular, simultaneously stretching out electronic wavefunctions and confining optical fields will address the fundamental length-scale mismatch between nano-electronics and diffraction-limited light. In the course of the project, the team will aim to develop new approach to design strongly nonlinear optical and optoelectronic materials. The theory side of the project will combine the expertise from analytical solid-state-physics, computational electromagnetism, and first-principles materials science. The experimental part of the research will utilize epitaxial growth of digital alloys, spectroscopy, and a variety of optical and electronic characterization techniques. The research will provide unmatched opportunities for the interdisciplinary training of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as a host of other outreach and educational activities aiming to improve the science pipeline.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.

非技术描述：材料一直在定义从石器时代到当前信息时代的人类生活。特别是，在半导体科学和电磁领域的研究基于影响现代人类生活几乎各个方面的计算，通信和成像的爆炸性增长。在这个项目中，在物理学，材料科学，电磁，科学计算和工程领域工作的科学家跨学科团队将开发一个新的材料平台，该平台有可能使新来源，探测器和中红外光的处理器。该团队将一次在一次控制不同的原子一起种植结晶材料的能力，以简单的工程设计所得的“数字合金”的电子和光学特性，以极大地增强慢速处理电子设备和快速扩展的照片之间的相互作用。该项目将通过直接培训学生的直接培训和创建“咬合大小”的视频来促进技术劳动力的下一代领导者的发展。团队与AFRL研究人员之间的合作将探索开发材料在实用设备中的应用。技术描述：来自材料科学，物理，电子网络，科学计算和工程领域的四个机构研究人员的研究人员跨学科团队将开发一个新的材料平台，以在重要的中边缘频率范围内强烈增强轻质的交互。该项目的最终目标是开发一类材料，其电子和光学响应可以以凝聚的方式设计；特别是，简单地伸展电子波形并限制光场将解决纳米电子和衍射有限的光之间的基本长度不匹配。在项目的过程中，该团队将旨在开发新的方法来设计强烈的非线性光学和光电材料。该项目的理论方面将结合分析固态物理学，计算电子磁性和第一原理材料科学的专业知识。研究的实验部分将利用数字合金，光谱和各种光学和电子表征技术的外延生长。这项研究将为研究生和本科生的跨学科培训提供无与伦比的机会，以及许多其他宣传和教育活动旨在改善科学渠道。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来通过评估来通过评估来支持的。