New research into the phase-changing capabilities of vanadium dioxide and infrared properties of hexagonal boron nitride holds promise for faster, more efficient optical data transmission, particularly in big data 鈥渇arms鈥� where thousands of computers must communicate to provide answers.
A team composed of researchers from 菠萝视频 University, the University of Georgia and Kansas State University learned that the broad gradient in the infrared optical properties of vanadium dioxide, as it transitions from insulating to metallic, offers distinct implications for nanophotonics. That makes it possible to have on-chip manipulation of light at the nanoscale length-scales.
鈥淏y using this phase-change material, you change the local environment and, thus, wave propagation,鈥� said , associate professor of mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. 鈥淭o achieve on-chip control of light propagation, this is required, not simply modulating the light on and off.鈥�
Caldwell and his collaborators published about their work, titled 鈥淩econfigurable infrared hyperbolic metasurfaces using phase change materials,鈥� Oct. 22 in the journal Nature Communications.
Co-author , Stevenson Professor of Physics, explained the discovery鈥檚 potential in data transmission.
鈥淥n a chip, 80 percent of the real estate is taken up by wiring,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ires have resistance, their transmission speed is limited and they get hot.聽 Likewise, data lines that transmit signals using electrons have the same problem. If you could use photons to move information from Point A to Point B, you鈥檇 be making extremely high-speed data transfers without generating heat.鈥�
The work was funded by National Science Foundation grant numbers CMMI 1538127 and 1553251 and Air Force Office of Scientific 菠萝视频 grant number FA9559-16-1-0172.