Boston Chapter of the IEEE Photonics Society

Abstract:  Nanophotonics (plasmonics, metamaterials, negative-index materials, photonic crystals,...) is of increasing interest as a result of the unique physics of structures at and below the scale of the wavelength. Exciting applications are emerging in imaging (to and beyond the diffraction limit), in nonlinear optics (freedom from phase matching constraints), in detection (reduced noise and higher speeds with smaller detectors), and in sources (plasmonic aperture lasers and chirped-grating tunable distributed-feedback lasers). Realization of these applications will require a low-cost large area nanofabrication technology. Even at the research stage, there is considerable benefit in large-area samples that allow facile experimental inves-tigation of these novel emerging structures. Interference between coherent laser beams provides a simple, low-cost technology that is readily extended both to the scales of interest for many nanophotonic applica-tions and to the manufacturing volumes that will be needed for large scale adoption of these technologies. Recent progress in interferometric lithography (leading to the 22-nm half-pitch structures shown below) will be discussed along with the fabrication processes for nanophotonics.

The second half of the presentation will review recent work in nanophotonics enabled by this large-area lithographic capability. Fig. 2 shows an infrared metamaterial (an assemblage of LC tank circuits). Negative-index materials (NIMs) are another emerging area.  Photonic crystals – periodic arrays of nanoscale structures (with or without aperiodic defects) provide another example of the exciting physics accessible with current interferometric lithography capabilities.  Nonlinear optical processes are strongly enhanced by the field concentration inherent in many nanophotonic structures. Additional areas that will be dis-cussed include broadly tunable infrared lasers based on chirped DFB structures and nanofluidics for bio-logical applications. The overall message is that a nanoscale lithography capability enables many exciting nanotechnology research directions.

Biography:  S. R. J. Brueck (BS, Columbia University 1965, SM, MIT 1967 and PhD MIT 1971) is Director of the Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) and Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and of Physics at the University of New Mexico. Professor Brueck was a technical staff member at MIT Lincoln Laboratory from 1971 to 1985. His research group has been intensively involved in the extension of optical lithography to the 45-nm half-pitch industry node, and in using these nanoscale lithographic capabilities to investigate nanophotonics (photonic crystals, metamaterials), nanofluidics, nanoscale epi-taxial growth, and directed self-assembly. Professor Brueck has authored over 300 publications and 30 patents. He is a fellow of the IEEE, the OSA, and the AAAS.