Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PERSEPHONe (PERovskite SEmiconductors for PHOtoNics)
Período documentado: 2021-03-01 hasta 2023-02-28
The EU-funded PERSEPHONe project aims to train a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the emerging area of photonics. It is a joint research training and doctoral programme, implemented by a partnership of highly ranked universities, research institutions and industrial research partners spread over 6 different countries. The project will involve 14 Early Stage Researchers, who have been selected to develop a novel technological platform for photonics based on an emerging class of semiconductors, metal-halide perovskites, with exceptional optical and electrical properties. Importantly, PERSEPHONe want to engineer them in order to provide a large set of functionalities whose integration could lead to important improvement to Silicon photonics, Silicon
(Oxy)Nitride and other established technological platforms The goal is to make this novel technology commercially viable in several different sectors from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring, telecommunications and robotics.
Thanks to the PERSEPHONE training network, early stage researchers will be exposed to a wide spectrum of expertise, materials synthesis; photonic (and optoelectronic) devices and integrated circuits fabrication; characterization and modeling, upscaling and manufacturing. Each fellow will learn how to deal with complex problems, acquiring broad competences and becoming highly adaptable. They will be aware of their skills and attitudes and will spend them efficiently in both corporate and academic environments. The key to success of such Programme is the multidisciplinarity and inter-sectoriality of the network, which will allow the young researchers to genuinely discover their attitude while having an impact on a relevant scientific and technological field.
(Oxy)Nitride and other established technological platforms The goal is to make this novel technology commercially viable in several different sectors from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring, telecommunications and robotics.
Thanks to the PERSEPHONE training network, early stage researchers will be exposed to a wide spectrum of expertise, materials synthesis; photonic (and optoelectronic) devices and integrated circuits fabrication; characterization and modeling, upscaling and manufacturing. Each fellow will learn how to deal with complex problems, acquiring broad competences and becoming highly adaptable. They will be aware of their skills and attitudes and will spend them efficiently in both corporate and academic environments. The key to success of such Programme is the multidisciplinarity and inter-sectoriality of the network, which will allow the young researchers to genuinely discover their attitude while having an impact on a relevant scientific and technological field.
PERSEPHONe is structured in seven workpackages. The first three workpackages (WP1, WP2 and WP3) are related to research activities, WP4 is focused on training events, WP5 deals with dissemination and outreach activities, WP6 relates to the management operations, and finally WP7 describe the ethic requirements. Regarding the research activity, these see the design, synthesis and development of materials with specific functionalities (WP1), the design, fabrication and characterization of devices, which are the building blocks of the novel technology) (WP2) and their integration in photonic integrated circuits to complement the functionalities of Silicon photonics and Silicon (Oxy)Nitride and other established technological platforms. Most of the work performed during the first period of the project has been mainly focused on the design, synthesis, processing and characterization of materials, optimizing their optoelectronic properties (light emission efficiency, bandgap tunability, carrier transport) and stability. They are the core for the development of each single device. Work has been also performed to optimize the devices architecture to guarantee high fabrication yields and scalability. Preliminary activities have been reported on the integration program, which will be the core of the work of the second period of PERSEPHONe.
Regarding the training, PERSEPHONe has dedicated this first period to get the ESRs acquainted with their project, the field of metal halide perovskites, and soft skills useful to manage their new working life in a multidisciplinary environment.
Regarding the training, PERSEPHONe has dedicated this first period to get the ESRs acquainted with their project, the field of metal halide perovskites, and soft skills useful to manage their new working life in a multidisciplinary environment.
PERSEPHONe’s approach is a market driven research strategy. Here we summarize the significant advancements beyond the state-of-the-art as the outcome of the first period of activities and expected at its end. We have achieved stable, high-quality 2D lead-free perovskite semiconductors showing lasing, thanks to our progress on shedding light on the defects photochemistry and activity in 2D perovskites. We have developed new synthetic strategies to stabilize perovskite nanocrystals and their optoelectronic properties when passing from a colloidal solution to solid state thin films. Then we have demonstrated the possibility of tuning 2D perovskites bandgap by chemical doping and controlled design of the host/guest system. Till the end of the project we expect to consolidate our understanding of the photo-physical and electronic processes in perovskite semiconductors at high excitation regimes, to demonstrate stable LEDs with high color purity within the entire visible spectrum, to deliver the first proof of concept of an electrically pumped laser. PERSEPHONe will expand the market interest towards perovskites for application in light sensing as well developing lead free photodetectors. The network will demonstrate the feasibility of industrial scale up of synthetic procedures and device fabrication. Eventually, it will reach the development of micro LEDs, quantum emitters and semiconductor optical amplifiers compatible with well-established integrated photonic technologies and the development of perovskite-based PICs for programmable photonics applications including actuators and detectors.
Overall, it is well accepted how broad is the range of photonic applications in the everyday life (ICT, lighting, industrial manufacturing, life science, safety, just to mention some) and PERSEPHONe is expanding them. In fact, the development of materials where single functionalities can be customized will widen the functionalities and potential of existing photonic technologies. Then, it is worth to mention here that one of the major challenge, at the moment, for the photonics industry is scarcity of talents, i.e. a difficult transition between academic world and industry and vice-versa, as reported by a recent report of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC). PERSEPHONe has been extremely successful so far to rise awareness in ESRs about the importance of a collaborative work between academic and industrial institutions, which is expected to make the technology advance more quickly towards the lab to market transition.
Overall, it is well accepted how broad is the range of photonic applications in the everyday life (ICT, lighting, industrial manufacturing, life science, safety, just to mention some) and PERSEPHONe is expanding them. In fact, the development of materials where single functionalities can be customized will widen the functionalities and potential of existing photonic technologies. Then, it is worth to mention here that one of the major challenge, at the moment, for the photonics industry is scarcity of talents, i.e. a difficult transition between academic world and industry and vice-versa, as reported by a recent report of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC). PERSEPHONe has been extremely successful so far to rise awareness in ESRs about the importance of a collaborative work between academic and industrial institutions, which is expected to make the technology advance more quickly towards the lab to market transition.