The hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a wide bandgap semiconductor is an attractive material for deep ultraviolet (DUV) generation. In this paper we study the prospect of using the stacking hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) for generating DUV emission by impact excitation in alternating current driven thin electroluminescence devices (ACTEL) based on BN phosphors having different morphologies. A theoretical approach considered is based on the impact excitation model for generating DUV from stacking h-BNNS under a high electric field. It was found that in the h-BNNS with a thickness of 90 nm biased at 3.33×109 V/m, the quantum yield can reach to 86.8%, and the power conversion efficiency of 1.68%. To achieve the same quantum yield and power conversion efficiency for the ACTEL based on h-BN single crystal, the active phosphor layer should be 2 μm thick when biased at 1.5×108 V/m.

Nanoparticles of high-refractive-index materials like semiconductors can achieve confinement of light at the subwavelength scale because of the excitation of Mie resonances. The nanostructures out of high-refractive-index materials have extensively been studied theoretically and realized in experiments exploring a wide range of photonic applications. Recently, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) from the family of van der Waals layered materials have been shown to exhibit tailorable optical properties along with high refractive index and strong anisotropy. We envision that TMDCs are a promising material platform for designing metasurfaces and ultra-thin optical elements: these van der Waals materials show a strong spectral response on light excitations in visible and near-infrared ranges, and metasurface properties can be controlled by nanoantenna dimensions and their arrangement. In this work, we investigate a periodic array of disk-shaped nanoantennas made of a TMDC material, tungsten disulfide WS2, placed on top of a silicon layer and oxide substrate. We show that the nanostructure resonance in TMDC disk-shaped nanoantenna array can be controlled by the variation in silicon layer thickness and have a dependence on the presence of index-match superstrate cover. We also report on the spectral features in absorption and reflection profiles of the same structure with different surrounding index.

Hot carrier based methods constitute a valuable approach for efficient and silicon compatible sub-bandgap photodetection. Although, hot electron excitation and transfer have been studied extensively on traditional materials such as Au and Ti, reports on alternative materials such as titanium nitride (TiN) are rare. Here, we perform hot hole photodetection measurements on a p-Si/metal thin film junction using Ti, Au and TiN. This material is of interest as it constitutes a refractory alternative to Au which is an important property for plasmonic applications where high field intensities can occur. In contrast to Au, a TiN/Si junction does not suffer from metal diffusion into the Si, which eases the integration with current Si-fabrication techniques. This work shows that a backside illuminated p-Si/TiN system can be used for efficient hot hole extraction in the IR, allowing for a responsivity of 1 mA/W at an excitation wavelength of 1250 nm and at zero bias. Via a comparison between TiN and other commonly used materials such as Au, the origin of this comparably high photoresponse can be traced back to be directly linked to a thin TiO2-x interfacial layer allowing for a distinct hot-hole transfer mechanism. Moreover, the fabrication of TiN nanodisk arrays is demonstrated which bears great promise to further boost the device efficiency.

Intelligent control of friction and adhesion has attracted much attention for use in soft robotics, human-sensor interfaces, and bionics. Here we introduce a shape memory photonic crystal (SMPC) polymer that can be programmed and recovered by solvent to realize switchable surface friction. Micro sliding test show that the friction coefficient on this SMPC in the programmed and recovered state can vary by three times. We also show that the mechanism behind this switchable friction coefficient is the surface roughness related adhesion.

AlN etching with chloride plasmas is studied. The experimental results show that the etching of AlN under a low pressure Cl2/Ar plasma mixture in moderate DC bias is not possible. The addition of BCl3 gas to Cl2/Ar mixture allows the etching of AlN materials. However the obtained properties of etched AlN is still not in conformity with the technological specification especially for the condition which the etched AlN must be kept only along the sidewall of the InP laser cavity and be removed elsewhere (selective etching). To know more about the effect of the BCl3 addition to the Cl2/Ar plasma mixture, global model of BCl3/Cl2/Ar is developed to quantify the neutral and ion densities as well as the electron density and temperature. The simulation results show that the electron density and low pressure linearly varies with the RF power. The negative ion density decreases with the percentage of BCl3 leading to the diminution of the electronegativity which is represented by negative ion to electron density ratio. The simulation shows that the positive ion to atomic chlorine flux ratio increases with the %BCl3. Such parameters could play an important role in the ion neutral synergy during the etching process.

The vast majority of power generation in the United States today is produced through the same processes as it was in the late-1800s: heat is applied to water to generate steam, which turns a turbine, which turns a generator, generating electrical power. Researchers today are developing solid-state power generation processes that are more befitting the 21st-century. Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells directly convert radiated thermal energy into electrical power, through a process similar to how traditional photovoltaics work. These TPV generators, however, include additional system components that solar cells do not incorporate. These components, selective-emitters and filters, shape the way the radiated heat is transferred into the TPV cell for conversion and are critical for its efficiency. Here, we present a review of work performed to improve the components in these systems. These improvements will help enable TPV generators to be used with nearly any thermal source for both primary power generation and waste heat harvesting.

We propose a method for precision control of the temporal pulse shape in 808 nm emission from Er-doped fluoroindate glasses. Previously, authors have reported the model based controller design, in which the controller varies and controls the pump rate in real time through the pump power. In model-based design, the performance of the resultant controller depends on the accuracy of the mathematical model used to represent the device in the design process. In this paper a more robust control scheme using model-free approach is presented. Specifically, the controller design is independent of the mathematical model and hence any modeling error has no effect on the device performance. This robustness against modeling error is critical for control purposes in optical materials where various up-conversion parameters are unknown or hard to determine with certainty.

One-dimensional hybrid Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) is constructed using Tris (8-hydroxy) quinoline aluminum (Alq3) molecules and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles via spin coating process. Light emission from thin films of low molecular weight organic semiconductor of Alq3 is dominated by excitons. This material has been widely used as a superior emitter for organic light emitting diodes. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an inorganic semiconductor with a high band gap. Photoluminescence (PL) of thin films of Alq3 showed a broad PL peak at 530 nm. In DBR structures, PL quenching is observed but there is no shift in the PL peak of the Alq3. The PL quenching is tentatively attributed to energy transfer via sensitization to wide band gap TiO2 layers. A simple excitonic model is suggested to explain the observation. Fabrication process and optical properties of the structure are presented.

Substantial increase of output current, and Ion / Ioff ratio for sub-7nm low power CMOS transistors, can be accomplished using a novel optoelectronic technology, which is 100% compatible with existing CMOS process flow. For RF or mixed signal ASICs, adding photonic components may improve the cut-off frequency, and reduce series resistance. Products that utilize power regulating devices, such as power MOSFETs, will benefit from the optoelectronic configuration to achieve much lower Rdson and high voltage at the same time. For semiconductor memories, such as DRAM or FLASH, the photonic technique may reduce the ERASE / WRITE / access time and improve the reliability.

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) have widely been studied as an ideal platform for developing electronic, photovoltaic, photonic devices and biological probes in the nanoscale. The ability to synthesize high-quality NWs of various materials with a precise control in shape, doping and crystal structure is the key to the growth of NW-based technologies. In the past decade, there has been growing interest in controllably creating NW heterojunctions and periodically-modulated superlattices (SLs) because it is expected to bring new functionalities that are not present in uniform NWs. In particular, the interaction of NW SLs with light has been one of the central interests because the diameter and modulation length scale are on the same order as the wavelength of light in the optical regime. Also, degenerately-doped semiconductor NWs exhibit localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs), which comprises unexpected long-range interactions when the plasmon resonators are regularly placed in NW SLs. In this review, I will summarize the recent progress in photonics research of NW SLs. The topics discussed include preparation and types of NW SLs, light-trapping and light-emission properties, and plasmonic optical- and thermal-transport properties.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal degenerative disease that results in a continuous degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina, which eventually leads to complete blindness. One approach to combat AMD is through the use of artificially implantable photodetectors that are physically placed on the retina. Interestingly, 2D materials such as photosensitive and semiconducting molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and electrically conducting graphene have recently received tremendous promise due to their unique photonic and optoelectronic properties and their potential in various types of micro and nano-devices. In this study, a highly biocompatible 2D graphene-MoS2 photodetectors on a flexible polyimide substrate were designed, fabricated using inkjet printing to form photosensitive pixels and tested as a function of photo intensity and strain. The inkjet printed 2D heterostructure devices were photoresponsive and the photocurrent scaled proportionally with the incident light intensity, exhibiting a photoresponsivity R ∼ 0.30 A/W at room temperature. The strain-dependent measurements of photocurrent with bending showed a photocurrent of Iph ∼ 1.16 μA with strain levels for curvature up to ∼ 0.262 cm-1. Inkjet printed graphene and MoS2 inks were also characterized using techniques such as Raman Spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Present work reports the growth of Strontium Barium Niobate (Sr0.75 Ba0.25 Nb2 O6, SBN 75)thin films using Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for possible realization of electrically tunable modulators. Structural and optical properties of grown SBN75 thin film were investigated indicating the growth of high quality polycrystalline and optically transparent. Prism coupling technique was further utilized for coupling the incident laser light λ = 633 nm with the grown SBN75 thin film. The guided EM radiation could be further coupled with the electric field for the realization of EO modulator.

Exact solution of the generalized Shockley – Queisser model provides simple and effective tool for modeling of photovoltaic (PV) and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices with advanced photonic management. This formalism takes into account spectral characteristics of absorption/emission and a variety of recombination processes in semiconductor cell. In the current work we generalize this formalism to devices with non-ideal light reflectors used for light recycling and trapping. As an example, we investigate effects of the light management in InGaAsSb TPV converters (0.53 eV bandgap) with back surface reflector and with an additional front surface scattering layer, which provides Lambertian trapping of photons. We calculate the output power (efficiency) and investigate tradeoff between photon absorption and Auger recombination processes as a function of the device thickness. Finally, we compare performance of these TPV devices with the performance of traditional devices.

Polarization-dependent absorption spectra of two functionalized derivatives of fluorinated anthradithiophene, diF TES-ADT and diF TDMS-ADT, were studied in the crystal phase using a Holstein-like Hamiltonian. For both molecules, the primary contribution to the lowest energy absorption was found to be the S0-S1 excitonic transition perturbed by an intermolecular coupling of 15 meV for both TES and TDMS. A secondary contribution, consistent with that from charge-transfer states, was also found. Additionally, absorption spectra were analysed when crystals were placed inside of optical microcavities formed by two metal mirrors. Cavities exhibited a primary absorption peak determined to be an enhanced absorption from the lowest-energy S0-S1 transition.

The adult Papilio demoleus Linnaeus comes in different sizes (80-100 mm) and colours. On the basis of structural colour observation, an experimental and theoretical study on the different colours on Papilio demoleus Linnaeus wings was conducted. The wing scales were investigated from a photonic crystal perspective using scanning electron and optical microscopies and reflectance measurements. In the SEM measurements, the parts studied show nanostructured ridges separated by crossribs (grooves). The scales show several tilted cuticle layers lapped on the ridges, which constitute a grating. The widths of the ridges and crossribs (grooves) in the grating are different. Arrangements and shapes of scales are clearly seen under the optical microscopy. It was deduced that the yellow colour with the highest reflectance of 485 nm and 580 nm could be due to multiple interferences from a highly tilted cuticle arrangement. The layer arrangement in the brown and ash scales is not enough to reflect observable interference light. The study shows an application in fine light elements in the photo-electro devices.

The effect of damage induced by plasma etching on the cathodoluminescence intensity of micron-size InP features is studied. At the etched bottom, it is found that the hard mask stripping process is sufficient to recover the luminescence. Within features, the presence of sidewalls reduces luminescence intensity due to additional non-radiative surface recombinations. For a n-doped sample, a carrier diffusion length of 0.84 μm and a reduced nonradiative surface recombination velocity of 2.58 are calculated. Hydrostatic strain within the etched features is measured using the peak shift of the luminescence signal, while in plane strain anisotropy is obtained from its degree of polarization, both with a resolution of about 100 nm.

Within the last decade, inkjet printing technology has developed from only a text and graphic industry to a major topic of scientific research and development. Inkjet printing can be used as a highly reproducible noncontact patterning technique to print at high speeds either small or large areas with high quality features; it requires only small amounts of functional materials, which immediately lower production costs. Furthermore, inkjet printing reduces the amount of processing steps due to its additive technique of materials deposition, which further decreases productions costs. This contribution provides a literature survey covering the latest results in low temperature sintering inkjet-printed metal precursor materials in a fast and efficient manner, aiming for roll-to-roll processing. The prepared features can be used as interconnects and contacts for microelectronic applications, including organic light-emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, and radio frequency identification tags.