Descrizione del progetto
I cristalli forniscono una corazza per i sensori nanofotonici altamente sensibili
L’elettronica che sfrutta il movimento degli elettroni è sempre più integrata e persino sostituita da dispositivi fotonici che sfruttano le proprietà dei pacchetti di luce o fotoni. La nanofotonica si concentra sulle interazioni dei fotoni con strutture di dimensioni nanometriche, offrendo l’opportunità di controllare la luce nel regime di sotto-lunghezza d’onda per migliorare le capacità di rilevamento e imaging. Il progetto GRAIL, con il supporto del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, sta sviluppando un processo di nanofabbricazione 3D per incorporare sensori nanofotonici altamente sensibili in cristalli in grado di resistere a condizioni ambientali difficili. I laser nanofotonici a frequenza singola del progetto saranno incorporati all’interno di cristalli resistenti per funzionare in ambienti estremi, compresi gli eventi meteorologici estremi associati al cambiamento climatico, o i futuri reattori a fusione nucleare.
Obiettivo
At a time when the climate emergency and an ever growing energy-demanding population are major issues facing the world, it is clearer than ever that new integrated sensing technologies are needed to: (1) locally adapt to climate change (by monitoring and preventing environmental catastrophes) and (2) globally mitigate it (by developing the future greener technologies which will require from advanced self-monitoring system integrated sensors).
State-of-the-art heterogeneous silicon photonics or plasmonics cannot withstand real-world environments and must be carefully protected; this leading to the question: Will it be possible to foresee a nanophotonic technology capable of withstanding extreme environments?
GRAIL will explore a new 3D nanofabrication approach for embedding monolithic nanophotonic sensors inside harsh-environment resistant crystals, such as for example in the protective layer of a smart watch or on unmanned vehicles and remote monitoring systems.
GRAIL is meant to develop novel single-frequency nanophotonic lasers (SFL) for future extreme-environment resistant sensors. This new type of laser will merge for the 1st time concepts from so far disconnected optical fields: photonic crystal fibers, semiconductor lasers, and rare-earth doped solid-state lasers. This leap will be enabled by the 3D-laser nanofabrication process recently discovered by the Host Supervisor, as well as by the expertise of the ER in SFLs for next-generation gravitational-wave detectors. GRAIL will also tackle the transfer of this technology to an award-winning EU-company on ultrafast laser fabrication.
GRAIL will provide a high-quality training to the ER in nanophotonics, 3D-laser nanolithography, IPR & technology transfer whereas the Host will greatly benefit from the creation of a new international research field. The EU Industrial Partner will benefit from acquiring first-hand knowledge on the innovative SFL nanophotonic technology, an its mass-produccion studies.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-processes
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physicsultrafast lasers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynanophotonics
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
38200 SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA
Spagna