SBIR Phase I: 3-D Photonic Band Gap Materials and Devices from Self-organized Anodic Alumina with Modulated Morphology

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I project seeks to develop and commercialize novel types of 3D microphotonic materials and devices for the visible spectrum. Despite the significant amount of research performed on photonic bandgap materials in the past decade, an approach to create full 3D photonic crystals in the visible region that could combine high performance with low cost manufacturability has remained a largely unobtainable goal. This breakthrough approach is enabled by an unique ability to precisely modulate the vertical pore structure in highly ordered nanoporous alumina, which can allow the confinement of light not just in-plane, but in 3 dimensions. The process will allow tuning of the photonic characteristics of the material, in particular the bandgap, to the desired levels. Several innovative techniques to deposit materials inside the nanoporous lattice will afford both lateral and vertical modification of the refractive index of the structure. This, combined with the ability to micromachine the resulting structures, will enable the creation of advanced microphotonic and optoelectronic devices and components for optical communications and computing. The techniques proposed could lead to the creation of dense monolithic photonic and optoelectronic components and circuits for very high speed optical computing and communication.