::.:: Areas of Interest

We focus our research on design and fabrication strategies that allow the development of novel devices whose operating principle take advantage of physical scaling down to the sub-100 nm level. Our current research interests are focused on the following main areas:

• Nanophotonics
• Biosensing
• MOEMS – Micro-opto-electromechanical systems
• Nano/Micro-fabrication Techniques

Current Projects

• Silicon-based nanophotonic devices and integrated photonic circuits
• Nanomass biosensors using integrated micro-opto-electromechanical systems (MOEMS).
• Polymer-based photonic devices using photonic crystals
• Nanofabrication of polymer-based photonic integrated circuits through direct electron-beam lithography and nanoimprint/embossing.
• Nanoparticle Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (NSERS) of bio-molecules.

::.:: Research Awards

a. Silicon/Polymer Photonics - AFOSR - 2005-2007

Research focused on developing new photonic structures that take advantage of polymer's and silicon's optical properties.

• Silicon: New silicon horizontal-slot waveguide devices based on photonic crystals were proposed that s for efficient lasers on silicon chips. This will enable faster chips which are now restricted by intra-chip communications. This research was published in Optics Express.
  
• Silicon: Ultra-small ring resonators with 2 um radius and the widest free-spectral range for single ring reported to date of 47 nm were fabricated and reported in Applied Physics Letters journal. This device enables single ring resonators to be used with on-chip Er+-based amplifiers since a single resonance is present in the gain bandwidth.
  
• Silicon: Nanoscale Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NOEMS) have been demonstrated, which integrate micro-machines with optical waveguides to enable equalization of different optical channels on chip. These devices are designed to be integrated with the wavelength switches above. This work was presented at the 2006 Emerging Technologies Workshop: Nanotechnology of the IMAPS society.
  
• Polymer: New one- and two- dimensional photonic crystal mirrors and cavities integrated into polymer waveguides were designed and fabricated. These devices will enable the integration of semiconductor quantum dots, which are nanocrystals currently being used for LED and laser applications. This work was published in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology and presented at the Electron Ion and Photon Beams and Nanofabrication conference.
  
• Polymer: Unique polymer microgripper devices were designed and manufactured in our labs to enable the micro-manipulation of micro/nano particles for integration into Microsystems. These devices are also able to manipulate cells and other biological entities. Currently the devices can manipulate structures with dimensions in the 5-30 um range. This work was presented at the Florida Conference on Recent Advances in Robotics (FCRAR2007) May 31, Tampa, FL, 2007.
  
• Polymer: Flexible Optical Waveguide Probes for wafer-level testing of optical integrated circuits have been fabricated and experimentaly demonstrated in the visible and IR. Image shows a flexible probe coupling to an S-shaped polymer waveguide.
  

b. Dense Memory Devices - AFOSR -2005-2007 (co-PI: PI- S. Khizroev)

New concepts for high-throughput near-field imaging and writing are being studied theoretically.

c. Tunable Spectral Evaluation, Switching, and Coupling for Missile Defense Application - Funding in collaboration with New Span Opto Technology, Inc. - 2006

• Silicon: Microheaters and optical devices were designed, simulated and fabricated for tuning silicon micro-ring resonators. Tunable silicon micro-ring resonators were integrated on chip to generate up to 8x8 wavelength switches. This research enables different channels carrying arbitrary data formats (i.e., analog or digital) to be routed independently, this is essential in high-performance computing and telecom systems. This work was published in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.
  

d. Microfluidic Platform for Chemical Sensing - NIJ/Chem. - 01/01/06-31/12/06 - PI: B. McCord/Chem.

• Microfluidic Platform for Chemical Sensing - NIJ/Chem. - 01/01/06-31/12/06 - PI: B. McCord/Chem. Microfluidic channels were designed and fabricated for the integration of novel optical and electrochemical sensors. The application of micro-ring resonators as refractometric sensors was investigated. This work aims at improving the detection levels of drugs that currently cannot be detected.
  

e. A micro-fabricated in vivo bubble oxygenator - FL DOH Biomed Res Prog - 7/1/06 -6/30/09 - PI A. McGoron/BME - Funding through joint collaboration with Oxylation Inc.

• Patterning of cylindrical devices for an in-vivo catheter for oxygen microbuble delivery is under development. This device is being developed with a local company and will aid the treatment of chronic pulmonary disease.