SBIR Phase I: Metal Nanoclusters Embedded Composite Thin Films for Photonic Applications

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a novel approach to synthesizing nanocluster embedded dielectric thin films for photonics applications. Nanosized particles embedded dielectric matrices have shown unique physical, chemical, optical, electronic, catalytic, and magnetic properties. For nonlinear optical (NLO) applications, the intrinsic properties of the nanoclusters such as particle size, size distribution, and volume fraction are of great importance, and for the matrix materials it is their dielectric constant and refractive index. A modified Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) technique will be utilized to produce the nanocomposite NLO materials with controlled nanocluster size and distribution, which will exhibit high third-order optical nonlinearity and fast response. The unique CCVD technique will produce well-dispersed metal nanoclusters embedded dielectric thin films. In Phase I, the project team will deposit the nanocomposite films, characterize their NLO properties, and establish process-structure-property relationship. Primary efforts will be made on improving nanoclusters' physical properties such as size, shape, composition, crystallinity, structure, as well as their size distribution and volume fraction. Today, no third-order NLO material applications are practical because the nonlinearities observed to date are two to four orders of magnitude short of what will be required for commercial devices that use lasers of moderate power. The embedded nanocluster approach developed here will lead to the necessary orders of magnitude increase in performance. Commercially, NLO effects have important applications in optical communications where optical switching and optical signal processing devices are essential elements. The use of optics is advantageous over that of electronics because of the higher carrier frequency used, which gives a potentially higher bandwidth. Practical applications of the NLO effects are in optical switching, amplification, beam steering and clean-up, and image processing for optical communications, computing, and integrated optics.