Candidate: Nikolay Videnov
Date: November 8, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Online - contact the candidate for more information.
Supervisor: Bajcsy, Michal
Abstract:
ECDLs are particularly well suited for use in atomic physics, where linewidths <1 MHz, and precise frequency tuning to electronic transitions are required. Currently ECDLs are typically based on bulk optic designs, which are large, mechanically sensitive, and time-consuming to manufacture. Recently ECDLs with a laser diode edge-coupled into a planar photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that both selects a single longitudinal cavity mode and narrows the laser linewidth have been demonstrated. These demonstrations have been in materials with modest bandgaps, such as silicon, silicon nitride, and lithium niobate, which suffer from excess absorption losses in the UV to visible (UV-vis) spectrum where many atomic transitions occur. Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a wide bandgap material (6.2 eV) making it transparent up to UV. In this seminar I will motivate the use of AlN for UV-vis photonics, and present exciting new results for what can be accomplished in AlN.