Enabling Technologies for 3D Nano Photonics: New Materials and Process Technology for Real 3D Integrated Optical Circuits, Photonic Band Gap Devices and Photonic Crystals

The subject of the project is fabrication of 3-D photonic crystal structures with embedded optical functional elements.

The manufacturing of the 3-D photonic crystals will be based on templates of nano-scale colloids of polymer materials. The optical confinement will be defined by defects that will be inscribed in the material with nm-resolution by laser processing. The photonic crystals are realised by infiltration and inversion techniques. The aim is to fabricate devices which include basic optical functions like waveguides, splitters, and filters for telecom applications. On the long term this technology is expected to enable volume fabrication of compact optical integrated circuits.

An important part of the project is devoted to development of simulation and design tools for photonic crystal structures which are adapted to the manufacturing technology for a fast realisation of the devices and for better understanding of influencing factors in the manufacturing process.