Axel Scherer - US grants

WPCf 2 B J d | x MACNormal p 5 X ` h p x (# % '0* , .81 3 5@8 : < : } D 4 P T I. A. 1. a.(1)(a) i) a) T 0 * * . , US X ` h p x (# % '0* , .81 3 5@8 : < : } D 4 P 0 * * . , US , 3 ' 1 Z MACNormal Scherer 9310681 This proposal is being funded in parallel with a substantially identical one by Professor Yablonovich. In a collaborative Caltech/UCLA effort the PI proposes a n experimental program to develop and test the technology for making 3 dimensional dielectric/metallic photonic crystal structures on the scale of optical wavelengths. These should lend themselves to practical implementation in opto electronic technology and might be generically useful in optical science. ****

Proposal Number: ECS-9816964

Principal Investigator: Axel Sherer

Title: Workshop on Electromagnetic Crystal Structure, Design, Syntheses, and Application

Abstract

This meeting will provide a forum for the university researchers and industry developers to discuss and explore the emerging concepts of photonic band structures and to exchange the latest technical information and applications. The early work on photonic band structure mainly focussed on the creation of artificial crystals made of dielectric materials for optical wavelengths. This workshop will extend the concept to radio and microwave regions, and to include metal in dielectrics. Potential applications may include small antennas and nanocavities for very short wavelengths.

EIA -0086038
Kimble, H.J.
California Institute of Technology

Title: Information Technology Research: Institute for Quantum Information

An interdisciplinary team of researchers in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are establishing an Institute for Quantum Information (IQI) to facilitate the investigation of quantum information science to provide new capabilities in the revolutionary field of quantum computing. To this end, efforts are being made to develop new algorithms for the manipulation, processing, and distribution of quantum information (including information capacities of communication channels, reliable schemes for distributed computation, efficient quantum error correcting codes). Investigations of physical systems for the implementation of quantum computation and communication, as well as coherent nanotechnology, principally by the way of theoretical models and analysis, are being performed. The team is also pursuing techniques to develop active control of quantum effects in nanoscale integrated circuits involving systematic approaches to the suppression of unwanted quantum effects via on-chip feedback networks and methods for stabilizing and exploiting emergent quantum behaviors in the context of analog/hybrid VLSI.

The past rapid emergence of optical microcavity devices, such as Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) [1] can be largely attributed to the high precision over the layer thickness control available during semiconductor crystal growth. High reflectivity mirrors can be grown with sub-nanometer accuracy to define high=Q cavities in the vertical dimension. Recently, it has also become possible to microfabricate high reflecti-vity mirrors by creating two- and three-dimensional periodic structures. These periodic "photonic crystals" can be designed to open up frequency bands within which the propagation of electromagnetic waves is forbidden irrespective of the propagation direction in space and define photonic bandgaps [2,3]. When combined with high index contrast slabs in which light can be efficiently guided, microfaricated two-dimensional photonic badgap mirrors provide us wit the geometries needed to confine light into extremely small volumes [4,5]. 2-D Fabry-Perot resonators wit hmicrofabricated mirrors are formed when defects are introduced into the photonic bandgap structure. It is then possible to tune these cavities lithographically by changing the precise geometry of the microstructures surrounding the defects. Surprisingly, we have found that small cavities consisting of single defects in a two-dimensional photonic bandgap crystal can still exhibit high Q values, and we have calculated, by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling, Qs in the range of 25,000 [6]. When real cavities are measured in absorbing semiconductor material, Q values ain excell of 1500 are measured. We have shown, as part of our previous NSF contract, that these high Qs make it now possible to define microcavity lasers [7] which functio at room temperature [8], with mode volumes as small as 2.5 (l/2nslab)3, or 0.03 um3 in InGaAsP emitting at 1.55 um.

Principal Investigator: Stephen R. Quake, CalTech

Proposal Number: 0088649

Abstract:

In this research, chips will be fabricated by monolithic integration of replication molded fluidics with optics and active detectors. These devices will consist of flow channels, including valves and pumps, made from silicone elastomer. In the simplest design, these will be aligned onto micro-optic detector chips with filtered p-n diode detectors and diffractive optic lenses for coupling light into and out of the chip in order to perform fluorescence measurements and manipulation of sub-nanoliters volumes of fluid. The integration of optics with replication molded microfluidics is expected to lead to the construction of very compact but versatile biological testing systems.

The main application for these chips will be rapid analysis of cellular information, either of gene expression pattern by RNA analysis or of protein levels through antibody assays. It is also anticipated that this effort will enable the construction of inexpensive and disposable multifunctional bio-sensor chips compact enough to ultimately be implanted into a host. Since valves and pumps are already integrated into the microfluidic system, the resulting chips can concentrate and measure pathogens or toxins as well as deliver drugs in-situ to the host, or perform complex chemical and biological analyses.

0116776
Roukes

Major advances have recently been made at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in developing and employing what are, largely, individual nanometer-scale structures for applications ranging from fundamental science to technological applications. Within the research groups of the co--P1's, Professor Scherer and Professor Roukes, who have worked together on nanofabrication for the past fifteen years, electron beam lithography techniques have been developed and used for the construction of a wide range of functional nanometer-scale devices. Lateral dimensions below 10 nm are routinely obtained, and students in these groups have developed both expertise in the requisite electron-beam-control code and an in-depth understanding of the specialized resist processing and pattern transfer techniques enabling ultrahigh resolution. The time is now ripe to exploit these advances by creating nanosystems - i.e. advanced structures that comprise coherently coupled arrays of the individual nanoscale elements the authors are perfecting. This equipment acquisition proposal, if funded, would enable such research.

Nanodevice arrays are emerging as a priority in nanoscale science and technology. As detailed in this proposal (and its accompanying letters of support), nanoscale arrays will find immediate applications within the proposers' research programs. These currently involve 13 Caltech professors, in disciplines spanning fundamental physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering and materials science. Among the specific topics currently being pursued are: quantum optics, quantum computation, nanophotonics, spin electronics, nanomechanics, neurophysiology, biotechnology, electrochemistry and molecular electronics. These applications require fabrication of structures spanning a hierarchy of size scales -from the smallest dimensions accessible via state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques, to the millimeter to centimeter domain of integrated, chip-based systems. Fabrication of these complex nanoscale arrays requires multiple, successively-aligned steps of large-field electron beam lithography over the wafer scale.

A second important research thrust would be enabled by the proposed instrumentation. This focuses upon future technological applications requiring nanometer-scale features produced lithographically en masse. This scale is far below the dimensions currently accessible via deep ultraviolet lithography, the current industry standard for state-of-the-art commercial production lines. To address this technological need, much recent effort world-wide has focused upon development of new, high-resolution, high-throughput lithographic methods. Projection x-ray lithography, shaped electron beam lithography, and mechanical transfer methods (embossing, molding, or stamping) all have evolved as principle contenders for the definition of sub-I 100nm structures over large areas. All of these techniques, however, have in common the need for wafer-scale high-resolution masks. These are normally generated by vector-scanned electron beam lithography. There are currently no alternative lithographic tools which offer comparable flexibility, resolution and placement accuracy for this purpose as state-of-the-au commercial electron beam writers. Student access to such an instrument would greatly enhance research and training in the proposers' university setting.

An entirely new level of instrumentation is required to successfully initiate these proposed endeavors. Specifically, the capability of writing large (wafer scale) fields of features at the sub-5Onm scale is absolutely crucial. This can only be done with a state-of-the-art electron beam writer; however the acquisition of such an instrument is significantly beyond the scope of most funding programs. Here the PIs propose to purchase an electron-beam lithography system for this laboratory. The cost for this instrument will be shared by Caltech ($l.5M), the NSF ($1.OM), and DARPA/DURINT ($l.OM). The laboratory established with these funds will constitute an interactive, "expert" facility within the larger efforts of the PI's. This select, focused group of researchers will include undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty members. This group will be collectively dedicated to establishing routes to next-generation structures involving large arrays of nanoscale elements.

0119493
Scherer
The objective of the proposed research is to develop and build compact absorption spectrometers and fluorescence measurement systems with the capability to test and identify the composition of picoliters of analyte. The approach is to integrate microfabrication techniques for both microfluidic and photonic devices in order to create monolithic analysis "chips" for bio-analysis applications. Specifically, three optical technologies will be developed and integrated into microfluidic systems: (1) Fabry-Perot optical resonators with high-finesse for optical spectroscopy, (2) photonic crystal nanocavities for interferometric sensing with high sensitivity, and (3) development of manufacturable solid immersion lenses for high numerical aperture examination of microfluidic samples.

This proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 00-119). The goal of this project is to develop laser and optoelectronic device technologies that achieve photon and electron confinement to generate 0-dimensional states, based on advances in nanolithography and dry etching to fabricate nanocrystals containing self-organized quantum dots. A decrease of a semiconductor laser's volume to its minimum size, while maintaining high Q, along with a decrease in the electronic confinement potential, may result in revolutionary advances in device operation. These include high-speed operation below and at threshold, and high efficiency in the spontaneous regime below threshold. In the ultimate limits of small active volume and sufficiently high Q the system can enter the quantum reversible regime necessary to create quantum-entangled states. Both these quantum limits of the photons and electron-hole pairs are possible using III-V nanostructured active material and nanostructured photonic crystals. The materials to be employed in these studies will be GaAs/AlGaAs/InGaAs strained layer heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy, which will be fabricated into photonic crystal lasers and microcavities. The III-V heterostructures will be grown at the University of Texas/Austin Microelectronics Research Center, and photonic crystal fabrication will take place at the California Institute of Technology(CIT) and at UT-Austin. The III-V nanostructures will be optimized for high-speed operation based on studies to be carried out at CIT. Manufacturable processes for the nanolithography will be developed at UT-Austin. Graduate research assistants working towards Ph.D. degrees represent a major component of this research. The expected impact of the research is the development of a new technology for low power, high speed optoelectronic interconnects suitable for wavelength division multiplexing and low power transceivers for optical interconnects, and new devices useful for exchange of quantum information.
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The project addresses basic materials science and engineering research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance. An important feature of the program is the integration of research and education through the training of students in a fundamentally and technologically significant area. The project will develop strong technical, communication, and organizational/management skills in students through unique educational experiences made possible by a collaborative forefront research environment. The project is co-supported by the DMR/EM, ECS/PFET, and EEC Divisions.
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NUE Award: Freshman Laboratory for Nanoscience

This award is part of Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 02-148, and is supported by the ENG/EEC division (program director Dr. Mary Poats) and the Design Automation for Micro and Nano Systems Program in the CCR division (program director Dr. Sankar Basu) of the CISE directorate. The NUE award supports new facilities for a freshman course to motivate students to pursue careers in nanotechnology. In this two-term course, undergraduate students obtain hands-on experience in the fabrication and characterization of semiconductor, microfluidic and microelectromechanical devices. Students will learn how to fabricate, measure, and understand the operation and integration of basic solid state semiconductor circuit elements such as diodes and transistors in the first term. In the second term, students build and test their own microfluidic and micro-electromechanical devices such as micro-electromechanical microphones, micro-fluorescently activated cell sorters, and other micro-sensors. These tasks require high resolution lithography equipment as well as imaging techniques which will be acquired through this NSF award. This course will allow undergraduate students, and in particular freshmen interested in nanotechnology, to train on state of the art lithography equipment during the class, and later pursue diversified interdisciplinary research topics during the summer. Much of the instructional material developed under this program will be made available on the internet for use by other colleges and universities and by incorporation into the NSDL.

This proposal requests funds for the US-Japan Workshop on "Nanophotonics". This workshop is the fourth in a series of workshops that are being held biannually between the United States and Japan under a mutual agreement between the National Science Foundation and MEXT.
The overall objective of this workshop is to bring a sharp focus on the scientific and technological possibilities for Nanophotonics. The workshop addresses the interdisciplinary needs of Nanophotonics and new optical integration technologies through a dialog of the leading practitioners of related research. In this workshop, the scientists from the US and Japan will explore areas of significant emphasis of research in nanophotonics and will provide an opportunity for discussion of the advances in science, engineering and technology at the nanoscale and of the related disciplinary aspects related to the fundamental aspects with practical applications. The program includes 11 speakers from United States and 13 speakers from the Japan.
The workshop will be held in Yokohama. The presentations and discussions will be on October 25-27, 2004 (see attached schedule). The proceedings of the workshop and the list of recommendations will be available to all the participants of the workshop, NSF, and MEXT. The workshop will start with a special lecture on the subject of "Nanophotonics: Beyond the limit of optical technology".

This is a very timely workshop and it will bring experts in nanophotonics for discussion of their current research and future requirement and will be a forum for discussion of mutual areas of interest between the US and Japan with special focus on applications in optical systems. This type of activity is an essential part of the process of bringing the benefits of nanotechnology to society.

0421543
Scherer
This proposed instrumentation acquisition is that of a dual-beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM) system, with which the involved research team intends to investigate electromagnetic phenomena at the nanometer scale. The involved research 'team' includes three collaborative elements. CalTech will take the lead, JPL will provide supplemental input, and the FIB/SEM vendor (i.e., FEI Inc.) will not only furnish the basic hardware but will interactively assist CalTech students and faculty in their efforts with software optimization.

This proposal focuses on the integration of novel micrometer and nanometer scale Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) devices and materials into the lithographically fabricated micro-fluidic systems. Such miniaturization and implementation of NMR systems on a micro-fluidic platform will lead to the highly parallel chemical analysis of smaller volumes of bio-chemically important solutions with significantly greater sensitivity than previously possible. Reducing the size of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices on a chip will also lead to the non-destructive imaging of biological cells with an unprecedented spatial resolution.

Intellectual Merit Micro-fluidic chip-based NMR systems will be designed and fabricated implementing (a) components for application of large gradient magnetic fields, (b) permanent magnet-based devices that provide high local fields, and (c) micro/nanometer scale electro-magnetic coils that will significantly improve the sensitivity and resolution of NMR and MRI. This research will offer new tools for the study of individual cells, enabling both spectroscopic and imaging observation of changes in cell metabolism triggered by the micro-fluidic controlled environmental changes. Furthermore, the micro-fluidic NMR chips will provide the ability to manipulate pico-liters of solution and perform highly parallel NMR biochemical analysis. Fundamental limits of miniaturization and integration of NMR micro-technologies within the elastomeric micro-fluidic chips will also be explored.

Broader Impact This program will foster collaboration between a Ph.D. granting institution (Caltech) and a large, urban, minority serving non-Ph.D. granting university (CSULB). The Ph.D. and Masters students from both institutions will be exposed to the multi-disciplinary techniques from engineering, physics, and biochemistry, while being trained in micro-fabrication, fluidics, sensor design, and magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques. The research that students perform is expected to find many other applications where small samples have to be analyzed and imaged within an inexpensive portable chip-based platform with particular emphasis towards disease diagnostics.

This research involves design and building of a three-dimensional (3D) microarray device, with position-controlled microspheres, to perform simultaneous, efficient, and accurate screening of complementary DNAs, RNAs, and protein receptors on a single platform. This new device is portable, self-contained, automatic, and cost effective. Applications of this device include medical screening, drug discovery, and gene sequencing. In particular, it performs inexpensive disease diagnosis and provide insight into the molecular basis in different patients.

In existing 3D microarrays, microspheres are placed randomly within a substrate. This random placement of the microspheres makes their packing inefficient and their data processing complex. To overcome these drawbacks, the investigators design and build new microarrays with position-controlled microspheres. They analyze the statistical accuracy in estimating the target concentrations by computing performance bounds, and apply the results to select the minimal distance between the microspheres and the best operating temperature, while ensuring desired optimal estimation accuracy. The minimal microsphere distance enables high packing, and the optimal temperature reduces the cost. The investigators implement the position-controlled microarray using a microfluidic approach; particularly, they emplace the microspheres using a hydrodynamic trapping mechanism and using on-chip microvalves and pumps. The long-term goal is to integrate this device with image sensors, electronics, and optofluidic imaging to build a complete lab-on-a-chip system.

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to integrate compact laser sources, microresonators and photodetectors on wireless power supplies and data communications platforms to create implantable health monitors. With sub-millimeter dimensions, these sensor systems will be small enough to fit into blood vessels and will be able to measure continuously, reporting data to an external reader. Our miniaturization approach relies on remotely powering the devices, operating the sensors in pulsed mode, and keeping the measurement surfaces clean by using local heating. We have shown all ofthe individual components of such a system to yield very sensitive detection and high fidelity data communications, and propose to integrate and functionalize these systems to monitor chronic health conditions.: Continuous monitoring of analytes within the body enables the early detection of disease, as well as a more profound understanding of disease progression and body response. We have demonstrated wireless continuous glucose monitors, and intend to provide continuous measurement of other metabolites for the monitoring of caridovascular diseases and cancers. This approach also empowers patients to optimize their behavior and medication in real time. Beyond the important clinical information, small sensors located within or close to the circulatory system can provide rapid metabolic data on the biochemical changes within living organisms when these are subjected to disease and other physiological stress. The development of compact wireless sensor platforms for the monitoring of analytes or nucleic acids will ultimately enable a more analytical approach towards the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and allow the continuous observation of the progression of diseases in individual animal models.