Publications

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Conversion of plane waves to surface waves prior to detection allows key advantages in changes to the architecture of the detector pixels in a focal plane array. We have integrated subwavelength patterned metal nanoantennas with various detector materials to incorporate these advantages: midwave infrared indium gallium arsenide antimonide detectors and longwave infrared graphene detectors. Nanoantennas offer a means to make infrared detectors much thinner by converting incoming plane waves to more tightly bound and concentrated surface waves. Thinner architectures reduce both dark current and crosstalk for improved performance. For graphene detectors, which are only one or two atomic layers thick, such field concentration is a necessity for usable device performance, as single pass plane wave absorption is insufficient. Using III-V detector material, we reduced thickness by over an order of magnitude compared to traditional devices. We will discuss Sandia's motivation for these devices, which go beyond simple improvement in traditional performance metrics. The simulation methodology and design rules will be discussed in detail. We will also offer an overview of the fabrication processes required to make these subwavelength structures on at times complex underlying devices based on III-V detector material or graphene on silicon or silicon carbide. Finally, we will present our latest infrared detector characterization results for both III-V and graphene structures.

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We design and fabricate arrays of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) to realize neutral atom micro-traps for quantum computing. We initialize a single atom at each site of an array of optical tweezer traps for a customized spatial configuration. Each optical trapping volume is tailored to ensure only one or zero trapped atoms. Specifically designed DOEs can define an arbitrary optical trap array for initialization and improve collection efficiency in readout by introducing high-numerical aperture, low-profile optical elements into the vacuum environment. We will discuss design and fabrication details of ultra-fast collection DOEs integrated monolithically and coaxially with tailored DOEs that establish an optical array of micro-traps through far-field propagation. DOEs, as mode converters, modify the lateral field at the front focal plane of an optical assembly and transform it to the desired field pattern at the back focal plane of the optical assembly. We manipulate the light employing coherent or incoherent addition with judicious placement of phase and amplitude at the lens plane. This is realized through a series of patterning, etching, and depositing material on the lens substrate. The trap diameter, when this far-field propagation approach is employed, goes as 2.44λF/#, where the F/# is the focal length divided by the diameter of the lens aperture. The 8-level collection lens elements in this presentation are, to our knowledge, the fastest diffractive elements realized; ranging from F/1 down to F/0.025. © 2012 SPIE.

Resonant subwavelength gratings have been designed and fabricated as wavelength-specific reflectors for application as a rotary position encoder utilizing ebeam based photolithography. The first grating design used a two-dimensional layout to provide polarization insensitivity with separate layers for the grating and waveguide. The resulting devices had excellent pattern fidelity and the resonance peaks and widths closely matched the expected results. Unfortunately, the gratings were particularly angle sensitive and etch depth errors led to shifts in the center wavelength of the resonances. A second design iteration resulted in a double grating period to reduce the angle sensitivity as well as different materials and geometry; the grating and waveguide being the same layer. The inclusion of etch stop layers provided more accurate etch depths; however, the tolerance to changes in the grating duty cycle was much tighter. Results from these devices show the effects of small errors in the pattern fidelity. The fabrication process flows for both iterations of devices will be reviewed as well as the performance of the fabricated devices. A discussion of the relative merits of the various design choices provides insight into the importance of fabrication considerations during the design stage. © 2012 SPIE.

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We demonstrate the effects of integrating a nanoantenna to a midwave infrared (MWIR) focal plane array (FPA). We model an antenna-coupled photodetector with a nanoantenna fabricated in close proximity to the active material of a photodetector. This proximity allows us to take advantage of the concentrated plasmonic fields of the nanoantenna. The role of the nanoantenna is to convert free-space plane waves into surface plasmons bound to a patterned metal surface. These plasmonic fields are concentrated in a small volume near the metal surface. Field concentration allows for a thinner layer of absorbing material to be used in the photodetector design and promises improvements in cutoff wavelength and dark current (higher operating temperature). While the nanoantenna concept may be applied to any active photodetector material, we chose to integrate the nanoantenna with an InAsSb photodiode. The geometry of the nanoantenna-coupled detector is optimized to give maximal carrier generation in the active region of the photodiode, and fabrication processes must be altered to accommodate the nanoantenna structure. The intensity profiles and the carrier generation rates in the photodetector active layers are determined by finite element method simulations, and iteration between optical nanoantenna simulation and detector modeling is used to optimize the device structure. © 2012 SPIE.

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We describe the design of pixelated filter arrays for hyperspectral monitoring of CO2 and H2O absorption in the midwave infrared (centered at 4.25μm and 5.15μm, respectively) using resonant subwavelength gratings (RSGs), also called guided-mode resonant filters (GMRFs). For each gas, a hyperspectral filter array of very narrowband filters is designed that spans the absorption band on a single substrate. A pixelated geometry allows for direct registration of filter pixels to focal plane array (FPA) sensor pixels and for non-scanning data collection. The design process for narrowband, low-sideband reflective and transmissive filters within fabrication limitations will be discussed.

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Dielectric resonators are an effective means to realize isotropic, low-loss optical metamaterials. As proof of this concept, a cubic resonator is analytically designed and then tested in the long-wave infrared.

In this work, we describe the most recent progress towards the device modeling, fabrication, testing and system integration of active resonant subwavelength grating (RSG) devices. Passive RSG devices have been a subject of interest in subwavelength-structured surfaces (SWS) in recent years due to their narrow spectral response and high quality filtering performance. Modulating the bias voltage of interdigitated metal electrodes over an electrooptic thin film material enables the RSG components to act as actively tunable high-speed optical filters. The filter characteristics of the device can be engineered using the geometry of the device grating and underlying materials. Using electron beam lithography and specialized etch techniques, we have fabricated interdigitated metal electrodes on an insulating layer and BaTiO3 thin film on sapphire substrate. With bias voltages of up to 100V, spectral red shifts of several nanometers are measured, as well as significant changes in the reflected and transmitted signal intensities around the 1.55um wavelength. Due to their small size and lack of moving parts, these devices are attractive for high speed spectral sensing applications. We will discuss the most recent device testing results as well as comment on the system integration aspects of this project. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.

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The advent of high quality factor (Q) microphotonic-resonators has led to the demonstration of high-fidelity optical sensors of many physical phenomena (e.g. mechanical, chemical, and biological sensing) often with far better sensitivity than traditional techniques. Microphotonic-resonators also offer potential advantages as uncooled thermal detectors including significantly better noise performance, smaller pixel size, and faster response times than current thermal detectors. In particular, microphotonic thermal detectors do not suffer from Johnson noise in the sensor, offer far greater responsivity, and greater thermal isolation as they do not require metallic leads to the sensing element. Such advantages make the prospect of a microphotonic thermal imager highly attractive. Here, we introduce the microphotonic thermal detection technique, present the theoretical basis for the approach, discuss our progress on the development of this technology and consider future directions for thermal microphotonic imaging. Already we have demonstrated viability of device fabrication with the successful demonstration of a 20{micro}m pixel, and a scalable readout technique. Further, to date, we have achieved internal noise performance (NEP{sub Internal} < 1pW/{radical}Hz) in a 20{micro}m pixel thereby exceeding the noise performance of the best microbolometers while simultaneously demonstrating a thermal time constant ({tau} = 2ms) that is five times faster. In all, this results in an internal detectivity of D*{sub internal} = 2 x 10{sup 9}cm {center_dot} {radical}Hz/W, while roughly a factor of four better than the best uncooled commercial microbolometers, future demonstrations should enable another order of magnitude in sensitivity. While much work remains to achieve the level of maturity required for a deployable technology, already, microphotonic thermal detection has demonstrated considerable potential.

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We present simulations and measurements of a technology that can manipulate thermal angular and wavelength emission. This work is representative of Sandia National Laboratories' efforts to investigate advanced technologies that are not currently accessible for reasons such as risk, cost, or limited availability. The goal of this project is to demonstrate a passive thermal emission management surface that can tailor the direction of emission as well as the wavelength bands of emission. This new proposed technology enables thermal emission pattern management by structuring the surface. This structuring may be in either the lateral or depth dimension. A lateral structuring consists of a shallow grating on a metal surface. This air/metal interface allows photon/plasmon coupling, which has been shown to coherently and preferentially emit at certain wavelengths.

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We present the design and initial fabrication for a wavelength-agile, high-speed modulator that enables a long-term vision for the THz Scannerless Range Imaging (SRI) sensor. This modulator takes the place of the currently utilized SRI micro-channel plate which is limited to photocathode sensitive wavelengths (primarily in the visible and near-IR regimes). The new component is an active Resonant Subwavelength Grating (RSG). An RSG functions as an extremely narrow wavelength and angular band reflector, or mode selector. Theoretical studies predict that the infinite, laterally-extended RSG can reflect 100% of the resonant light while transmitting the balance of the other wavelengths. Previous experimental realization of these remarkable predictions has been impacted primarily by fabrication challenges. Even so, we have demonstrated large-area (1.0mm) passive RSG reflectivity as high as 100.2%, normalized to deposited gold. In this work, we transform the passive RSG design into an active laser-line modulator.

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The LIGA microfabrication technique offers a unique method for fabricating 3-dimensional photonic lattices based on the Iowa State "logpile" structure. These structures represent the [111] orientation of the [100] logpile structures previously demonstrated by Sandia National Laboratories, The novelty to this approach is the single step process that does not require any alignment. The mask and substrate are fixed to one another and exposed twice from different angles using a synchrotron light source. The first exposure patterns the resist at an angle of 45 degrees normal to the substrate with a rotation of 8 degrees. The second exposure requires a 180 degree rotation about the normal of the mask and substrate. The resulting pattern is a vertically oriented logpile pattern that is rotated slightly off axis. The exposed PMMA is developed in a single step to produce an inverse lattice structure. This mold is filled with electroplated gold and stripped away to create a usable gold photonic crystal. Tilted logpiles demonstrate band characteristics very similar to those observed from [100] logpiles. Reflectivity tests show a band edge around 5 μm and compare well with numerical simulations.

In this late-start LDRD, we will present a design for a wavelength-agile, high-speed modulator that enables a long-term vision for the THz Scannerless Range Imaging (SRI) sensor. It takes the place of the currently-utilized SRI micro-channel plate which is limited to photocathode sensitive wavelengths (primarily in the visible and near-IR regimes). Two of Sandia's successful technologies--subwavelength diffractive optics and THz sources and detectors--are poised to extend the capabilities of the SRI sensor. The goal is to drastically broaden the SRI's sensing waveband--all the way to the THz regime--so the sensor can see through image-obscuring, scattering environments like smoke and dust. Surface properties, such as reflectivity, emissivity, and scattering roughness, vary greatly with the illuminating wavelength. Thus, objects that are difficult to image at the SRI sensor's present near-IR wavelengths may be imaged more easily at the considerably longer THz wavelengths (0.1 to 1mm). The proposed component is an active Resonant Subwavelength Grating (RSG). Sandia invested considerable effort on a passive RSG two years ago, which resulted in a highly-efficient (reflectivity greater than gold), wavelength-specific reflector. For this late-start LDRD proposal, we will transform the passive RSG design into an active laser-line reflector.