Growing single crystal semiconductors into optical fibres for improved functionality

An international science team from the ORC at the University of Southampton in the UK and Penn State University in the United States have developed a process for growing a single crystal semiconductor inside the tunnel of a hollow optical fibre. The device adds new electronic capabilities to optical fibres, whose performance in electronic devices such as computers typically is degraded by the interface between the fibre to the device. The research is important because optical fibres -- which are used in a wide range of technologies that employ light, including telecommunications, medicine, computing, and remote sensing devices--are ideal media for transmitting many types of signals.

The development of the single-crystal device, which will be described in a paper to be published later this month in the journal Advanced Materials, builds on research reported in 2006, in which the team first combined optical fibres with polycrystalline and amorphous semiconductor materials in order to create a optical fibre that also has electronic characteristics. The group's latest finding -- that a single-crystal semiconductor can also be integrated into an optical fibre -- is expected to lead to even further improvements in the characteristics of optical fibres used in many areas of science and technology.

"For most applications, single-crystal semiconductor materials have better performance than polycrystalline and amorphous materials," said John Badding, associate professor of chemistry at Penn State. "We have now shown that our technique of encasing a single-crystal semiconductor within an optical fibre results in greater functionality of the optical fibre as well."

The team used a high-pressure fluid-liquid-solid approach to build the crystal inside the fibre. They first deposited a tiny plug of gold inside the fibre by exposing a gold compound to laser light. Next, they introduced silane, a compound of silicon and hydrogen, in a stream of high-pressure helium. When the fibre was heated, the gold acted as a catalyst, decomposing the silane and thus allowing silicon to deposit as a single crystal behind the moving gold catalyst particle, forming a single-crystal wire inside the fibre.

"The key to joining two technologies lies not only in the materials, but also in how the functions are built in," said Pier Sazio, senior research fellow in the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton. "We were able to embed a nanostructured crystal into the hollow tube of an optical fibre to create a completely new type of composite device."

The research team sees potential to carry the application to the next level. "At present, we still have electrical switches at both ends of the optical fibre," said Badding. "If we can get to the point where the electrical signal never leaves the fibre, it will be faster and more efficient."

CONTACTS:

Pier Sazio, Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton: +44 (0)23 8059 3144 
John Badding, Penn State University: (+1) 814-777-3054
Barbara Kennedy: (PIO): (+1) 814-863-4682

IMAGES

High-resolution images related to this story are on the Web at:
http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/Badding3-2008.htm

Posted by Marketing Officer, on 13 March 2008.