SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project proposes to model, fabricate and test 2-D photon crystals for far-field coherent emission. Very recently published research showed that thermal emissions from 1-D photon crystals (PC) had near-field coherent components. Interference between photons and surface structure effective turned the PC into an infrared antenna emitting radiation in narrow bands. Ion Optics will fabricate thermally heated PC emitters based upon patterned silicon (dielectric-air PC) covered with very thin patterned metal films. Computer models will first study potential structures. Optimal structures will then be fabricated and tested. Emission will be measured as a function of angle and wavelength, and we will look at diffraction effects to test coherence. The project will lead to production of inexpensive, highly efficient, narrow line-width, low dispersion infrared MOEMS sources well suited to spectroscopic applications. Phase I results will be used to model spectroscopic vapor detection to determine potential for improved sensitivity. Significant advances over available MEMS components would show feasibility for Phase II. Such light sources would enable detection of vapor species at very low concentrations (parts per billion or parts per trillion) for applications to atmospheric research, environmental research, detection of chemical warfare agents, explosives, etc. Potential sales could exceed $20 million per year

This SBIR Phase II project proposes to fabricate a photonic crystal, thermal mid-IR source with low divergence and low dispersion at about 0.1% the cost of competing technologies. Phase 1 research resolved fine structure of the emission spectrum from 2-D photonic crystals showing that the high intensity, large bandwidth peak had many submodes with strong polarization and angular dependence. In a series of designed experiments the intensity and central wavelength of these submodes were varied with geometrical alterations of the photonic crystal, and theoretically were correlated to surface plasmon resonances. A computer model was developed that matched experimental data. Results imply optimization of photonic crystal structure in Phase 2 could isolate a single sub-mode resulting in very low dispersion, very low divergence emission that could be coherent. The project will support high-end computational research at a university for complex electro-magnetic modeling of photon - surface plasmon interactions. Improved structures predicted by these calculations will be fabricated at an NSF supported nano-fabrication facility. We will examine effects of altered symmetry, periodic defects, and detailed shaping of electrostatic fields. All existing choices for coherent radiation in the mid-infrared spectral region are too expensive for widespread vapor detection. Examples are wavelength shifting of high power pulsed lasers using non-linear optical effects or quantum cascade lasers (now $5,000 each). The proposed source could sell for less than $10. Additionally, it could significantly reduce the cost of sensitive spectroscopic instrumentation allowing detection of vapors well below 1ppm concentration and application to widespread use as toxic vapor detectors for commercial, residential, and homeland defense applications. Compared to other technology, these detectors are temperature insensitive, rugged, and free of interference effects with zero maintenance and zero drift. This work will contribute towards understanding photon surface plasmon interactions within 2D photonic crystals. The field has huge implications for the microelectronics and optics industry as optical and electronic functions are combined onto single chips for applications to optical computing, communications, etc