eXtreme ultraviolet to soft-X-ray Photonic Integrated Circuits

ended

This project aims at the realization of a new technological platform for the development of a EUV - soft X-ray integrated photonics. Integrated photonics is a growing sector of photonics devoted to the realization of optoelectronic devices integrated in a single unit able of complex functionalities, with numerous and increasing applications. Current technology shares several aspects with semiconductor electronics; for this reason, the electromagnetic spectrum involved in integrated photonics is essentially limited to the infrared-to-visible range by the semiconductor band gap. The development of a novel technology able to manipulate high-energy photons in integrated devices may open integrated photonics to novel frontiers; in particular, the spectral range going form the extreme ultraviolet to the soft X-rays is very attractive for applications in Micro- and Nanoelectronics, Biology, Pharmacology, Material and Surface Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Metrology and in many other fields. The ambitious goals of the project will be reached through the synergetic interaction among different disciplines as Ultrafast Laser Technology, Extreme Nonlinear Optics, Femtosecond Laser Micromachining, Fluid Dynamics, Nanotechnology, EUV to soft X-rays technology. The partners involved in this proposal are leaders in those research fields, thus making the ambitious project goals feasible. The innovative technology demonstrated in this project will be the base for a large variety of future devices offered to industrial and scientific customers, with functionalities tailored to specific applications.