Domaines
Condensed matter
Low dimension physics
Non-linear optics
Nanophysics, nanophotonics, 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures,, surface physicss, new electronic states of matter
Type of internship
Expérimental et théorique Description
Electrically reconfigurable surfaces are artificial components whose optical properties (reflection, absorption) can be addressed electrically. They are particularly useful as amplitude or phase modulators.
In the mid-infrared (MIR, 3um<lambda<30um), these functionalities are useful for applications such as laser phase stabilization, spectroscopy, EO frequency comb generation.
The ultrafast (10–40GHz) modulation of MIR radiation is a missing device functionality. The Host Team is at the forefront of research with a far-reaching approach: the development of electrically reconfigurable surfaces for the MIR.
The Host Team recently demonstrated ultra-fast MIR modulators with performances that are compatible with real world applications.
The specificity (and the beauty) of the concept is that it relies on a fundamental physics phenomenon: the strong-coupling regime between light and matter.
The goal of this internship is: (i) employing the currently existing modulators to generate EO frequency combs, a crucial step for applications. (ii) participate in the full characterization, and result interpretation, of a new generation of modulators with improved functionalities.
The experiments will be performed with the existing setup, built around a tunable quantum cascade laser. The perspective intern will also have the possibility to add improvements to the setup (for instance the measurement of the modulation phase).
Contact
Raffaele Colombelli