NanoPlasmonics, Microphotonics & Imaging

Research that includes:

  • Polymer, printed optical lenslet arrays
  • Microfluidic tuneable photopolymer lenses
  • Optical switches and planar lightwave MEMS
  • Vertically integrated microconfocal arrays
  • Bio-inspired integration of tuneable polymer optics with imaging electronics

RSM37: Design of Controls for MEMS Adaptive Optics

Kuo-J Huang
2005

The research project investigates micromirrors used in the adaptive-optics system. Micromirrors have been used for adaptive-optics system to correct the wavefront aberrations in the astronomical and vision science applications. The required number of micromirrors depends on the available motions of the actuator. For astronomical and vision science applications, the required number of micromirrors can be greatly reduced if the micromirrors are able to move in both rotational and translations motions rather than translational motion alone. The goal of our research project is to design...

BPN300: A Simple Process to Fabricate High-Performance Torsional Microscanners and Their Applications

Hyuck Choo
2005

The first goal of this project is to demonstrate a high-yield, CMOS-compatible simple process to batch-fabricate self-aligned, high-performance torsional microscanners. The second goal is to demonstrate three different, commercially demanded applications for the fabricated torsional microscanners.

Project end date: 01/07/06

APP89: Monolithic Piezoelectrically-Actuated MEMS Tunable VCSEL

Benjamin Cheng
Mike Huang
2006

A novel piezoelectrically-actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) tunable vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is to be designed, fabricated and evaluated to provide improved wavelength control with lower power supply voltages and reduced external losses. Applications include signal routing and switching in modern optical communication networks and VCSEL-pumped atomic clocks. The project will focus on device design, modeling and monolithic integration of piezoelectric controlled MEMS with VCSEL for wavelength control.

Project end date: 07/30/06

RSM33: MEMS Microlenses and Lenslets: Their Application to Shack-Hartmann Sensors

Hyuck Choo
2006

Using hydrophobic effects and polymer-jet printing technology, we are developing a simple yet reliable method to fabricate microlenses for optical MEMS applications. We have characterized microlenses optically and are demonstrating their functionality in optical MEMS. The specific application that we are working on is Shack-Hartmann sensors. We expect to improve the dynamic range and sensitivity of Shack-Hartmann sensors by 20-40 factor.

Project end date: 07/30/06

BPN336: Tunable microdisk filters for DWDM optical network applications

David Leuenberger
Jin Yao
2006

Semiconductor optical microdisk resonators are building blocks for many dense wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) applications. Since wavelength determines the routing in a DWDM network, the ability to manipulate the spectral characteristics of in-line devices in a dynamic way is highly desirable. Microdisk resonators enable many functionalities in the optical layer such as demultiplexing, adding/dropping channels and optical bandwidth allocation.

Project end date: 01/25/07

MCW7: Single-Chip MEMS-Based Optical Crossconnect

Chao-Hsi Josh Chi
2006

The goal of this project is to develop monolithic 1xN wavelength-selective switches (WSS) and NxN wavelength-selective cross connects (WSXC) for WDM networks. The Si-based planar lightwave circuits (PLC) and the MEMS micromirrors are monolithically fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) chip. All optical paths are defined by photolithography and no optical alignment is necessary. The WSS and WSXC can be deployed in mesh networks. There is no need for OEO conversion, and they are format and bit-rate transparent.

Project end date: 01/25/07

MCW4: MEMS-Actuated Tunable Optical Microtoroidal Resonators

Jin Yao
2007

Microresonators are key enabling devices or elements in numerous application aspects.The goal of this project is to study and improve the on-chip integration and performance of microresonators,so that they can be more effiective building blocks for wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) photonic integrated circuits, such as on-chip channel add-drop filters, wavelength-selective switches, group velocity dispersion compensators, compact nonlinear optical devices, and optical sensors.

Project end date: 07/24/07

MCW9: Tunable SOI Microring Optical Modulator

Sagi Mathai
Joanna Lai
Xin Sun
2007

CMOS scaling driven by “Moore’s Law” has allowed great improvements in microelectronic integrated circuit technology. In addition, high index contrast SOI optical waveguides are receiving much attention for their potential in implementing high density photonic integrated circuits alongside microelectronics. This project entails the design, fabrication, and experimental demonstration of a tunable SOI microring optical modulator with the potential for integration with CMOS microelectronics.

Project end date: 07/24/07

RSM36: Selectively Addressed MEMS Digital-Mirror Arrays for Adaptive Optics

Blake Lin
2007

This project investigates the design of MEMS-deformable-mirror (DM) arrays for adaptive-optics (AO) systems. In these arrays, micromirror segments are individually addressed and controlled to correct the aberrated wavefronts of an optical beam dynamically. This correction improves image resolution in telescopes or vision-science instruments. Our research focuses on developing a CMOS-compatible MEMS process to integrate micromirrors with their driving electronics and control circuitry. In this way, we will control large mirror arrays selectively.

Project end date: ...

MCW8: MEMS Endoscopic Lens-Based Optical Coherence Tomography

Ki-Hun Jeong
Jingyi Chen
Jongbaeg Kim
2006

There is a need to develop a compact in dimension, high speed, bi-axial scanning, and robust scanner with Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology for in vivo imaging in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) applications. These MEMS based endoscoopes with distal beam scanning can image with higher speed, precision, and repeatability than conventional linear scanning endoscopes in which the entire endoscope is mechanically translated with respect to the observed tissue. Most importantly, with bi-axial scanning capability of the MEMS scanner, three dimensional in vivo real time...