Center for Laser Technologies and Nanoengineering

DB/OPTIMA

Title

Creation of an innovative product for the most efficient and energy-saving use of anisotropic and nanostructured materials in electro-, acoustic- and nonlinear optical devices

Project content

The problem the research aimed to solve:

Control systems, in particular, for defense purposes, in which the input signal is controlled by external influences, are extremely common in modern optoelectronic and laser devices. The input signal for such devices is an electromagnetic wave, and the controlling external influence can be an electric or magnetic field, mechanical stress and acoustic waves. The main problem of these devices is such fundamental disadvantages as high power consumption, significant mass and dimensions, low frequencies of control signals (due to the high attenuation of high-frequency signals in traditional electro-optical, photoelastic and acousto-optical materials), as well as low optical radiation resistance of materials.

Object and subject of research:

The object of research is anisotropic and nanostructured materials with high electro-, piezo-, elastic- and acousto-optic efficiency, including materials in which the effect of diffraction photoelasticity, which is promising for effective implementation, is present.

The subject of research is optical effects induced by external fields in anisotropic and nanostructured materials, the spatial anisotropy of the specified effects and the characteristics of effective photoelastic, electro-, acoustic- and nonlinear-optical cells based on these materials.

Purpose and main objectives of the study:

The purpose of the work is to develop and create an innovative product and appropriate service for significant improvement of the efficiency of optoelectronic devices with low-power control signals by improving and implementing into production a highly effective information technology for the most effective application of electro-, piezo- and acousto-optical anisotropic materials as active elements of such devices.

The main tasks of the scientific work:

  1. Analysis of the market of possible consumers of the product, selection of materials for research, the criterion of which is a set of material characteristics, simplicity and proven industrial production technologies (the necessary characteristics of the selected materials were experimentally investigated, namely all components of the tensors of the studied effects were determined).
  2. Implementation on the basis of the laboratories of the Lviv Polytechnic National University of a universal interferometric setup for conducting experimental studies of electro-, piezo-, and elastoplastic effects, as well as a comprehensive study of the capabilities of the priority method of polarization-optical conoscopy for the accurate determination of the problematic components of the tensors of the specified effects and experimental measurements of the manufactured nanostructured materials.
  3. Based on the construction of indicative or extreme surfaces, determination of the most effective geometries of electro-, piezo-, acousto- or nonlinear-optical interaction, as well as the corresponding crystal cuts (orientations of samples relative to the crystal-physical axes of anisotropic material) for their use as active elements in electro-, acoustic- or nonlinear optics devices, as well as fillers in the manufacture of nanostructured materials.
  4. Manufacture of samples of selected materials with the most effective geometry of the studied effects and their experimental verification.
  5. Transfer of the developed OPTIMA technology of the most effective application of anisotropic materials into an innovative product and development of a program for implementing research results into production.
  6. Manufacturing of sensitive elements (photoelastic, electro- and acousto-optical cells) of optimized geometry from selected materials and experimental confirmation of their high piezoelectric, elastic, electro- or acousto-optic efficiency, including low power consumption of control signals.
  7. Search for optimal conditions for nonlinear optical applications of selected anisotropic and nanostructured materials.

The main results

At the first stage of the project, samples were manufactured, the results of measurements of optical, acoustic, electro-, piezo- and acousto-optical parameters of selected anisotropic materials (SiO2, CTGS, LiTaO3, Pb5Ge3O11, CsH2PO4, etc.) were obtained, the methods and objects of the study were characterized. Nanoporous matrices of SiO2 and Al2O3 were selected and purchased for the manufacture of nanostructured materials.

At the second stage of the project, the spatial anisotropy of the investigated electro-, piezo-, acousto- and nonlinear-optical effects in selected crystals was analyzed, and appropriate recommendations were developed regarding the most effective geometries of sensitive elements. Recommendations were developed for the creation of nanostructured materials.

At the third stage of the project, the high electrical, piezoelectric, acoustic, and nonlinear-optical efficiencies of the manufactured optical cells were experimentally confirmed, and recommendations were developed for implementing the research results into production.

Originality and innovative aspects

To date, there are few objective results on finding all components of the photoelasticity and electro-optical effect tensors in low-symmetric anisotropic materials, which is due to the lack of an analytical description of the photoelasticity and electro-optical effect in such materials and, accordingly, working relations for calculating these components based on experimental data until recently.

Since the authors of the project have carried out a complete description of the relevant effects and proposed a number of priority experimental methods for their study, today the team of the project occupies a leading position in the world in objective study of external field-induced changes in the optical properties of crystalline materials of all symmetry classes.

The advantages of the obtained results also lie in the fact that the priority method of searching for maxima of photoelastic, electro-, acousto- and nonlinear-optical cells, along with the search for the best materials in which the corresponding effects are maximal, allows creating appropriate optoelectronic devices with characteristics by which such devices (modulators, deflectors, spectral filters, Q-switches, etc.) will outperform the best world analogues.

Oral and poster presentations were made at international conferences based on the project materials

  1. Buryy, O., Andrushchak, A., Danylov, A., Sahraoui, B. "Optimal phase matching for second harmonic generation in monoclinic non-linear optical crystals determined by extreme surfaces method," Proceedings – 16th International Conference on Advanced Trends in Radioelectronics, Telecommunications and Computer Engineering, TCSET 2022, 2022, Р. 423–427.
  2. Balaban, O., Izhyk, O., Andrushchak, A. "Impedance study of anodic aluminum oxide," 2022 IEEE 41st International Conference on Electronics and Nanotechnology, ELNANO 2022 - Proceedings, 2022. – Р. 302–305.
  3. Balaban O., Mitina N., Zaichenko A., Izhyk O., Venhryn B., Andrushchak A., "Promising cathode material based on inorganic nanocomposites for Li+-intercalation current generation," 2021 IEEE 11th International Conference Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties (NAP), 2021. – Р. 1–4.
  4. Andrushchak N., Adamiv V., Haiduchok V., Teslyuk I., Yashchyshyn Y., Andrushchak A., "Transmission spectra investigation of nanoporous Al2O3 matrices filled with KDP, ADP and TGS crystals at visible, NIR, and sub-terahertz ranges," 2021 IEEE 11th International Conference Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties (NAP) . – 2021. – Р. 1–5.
  5. Mytsyk B., Suhak Y., Buryy O., Demyanyshyn N. Syvorotka N. Sugak D., Fritze H. "New advanced material for photoelastic and acoustooptic modulation of light in UV spectral range. Piezo-, elasto- and acousto-optic properties of CTGS crystal," Advanced trends in radioelectronics, telecommunications and computer engineering (TCSET): proceedings of 15th International conference, February 25–29, 2020, Lviv, Slavske, Ukraine. – P. 516–519.
  6. Demyanyshyn N., Mytsyk B., Buryy O., Andrushchak A. "Lead germanate: An advanced material for infrared electro-optic modulators," Advanced trends in radioelectronics, telecommunications and computer engineering (TCSET): proceedings of 15th International conference, February 25–29, 2020, Lviv, Slavske, Ukraine. – P. 421–424.
  7. Buryy O., Andrushchak A., Chernovol N. "The optimal geometries of phase matching in uniaxial non-linear optical crystals determined by extreme surfaces method," Advanced trends in radioelectronics, telecommunications and computer engineering (TCSET): proceedings of 15th International conference, February 25–29, 2020, Lviv, Slavske, Ukraine. – P. 436–441.

    8. Publications

    As part of the completed project, the following scientific and technical papers were published:

    1. Vynnyk D.M., Kaidan M.V., Andrushchak A.S., Strykhaluik B. "Spatial Anisotropy of electromechanical coupling in Li2B4O7 crystals," Acta Physica Polonica A.– 2022.– Vol. 141, No. 4. – Р. 406–409. https://doi.org/10.12693/APhysPolA.141.406
    2. Vynnyk D.M., Ratych A.T., Kyryk M.I., Yidak I.V., Andrushchak A.S. "Experimental determination features of acousto-optical figure of merit for crystalline materials," Acta Physica Polonica A .– 2022.– Vol.141, No. 4. – Р. 396–399. https://doi.org/10.12693/APhysPolA.141.396
    3. Levitskii R.R., Zachek I.R., Andrushchak A.S. "Influence of electric fields E3 on the phase transition and thermodynamic characteristics of GPI ferroelectrics," Journal of Physical Studies. – 2022. – Vol. 26, No. 3 . – P. 3601. https://doi.org/10.30970/jps.26.3601
    4. Sesha Reddy A.S., Kityk A.V., Jedryka J., Andrushchak A.S., Kumar V.R., Veeraiah N. "The anisotropic photorefractive effect in lithium sulfo-phosphate glass system doped with nickel ions," Optical Materials. – 2022. – Vol. 123. – P. 111858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2021.111858
    5. Martynyuk-Lototska I., Yidak I., Korneyev O., Ratych A., Andrushchak A. "Determination of all piezoelectric coefficients and elastic stiffness constants in LiTaO3 crystals based on measurements of acoustic wave velocities," Journal of Physical Studies. – 2021. – Vol. 25(4). – P. 4602. https://doi.org/10.30970/jps.25.4602
    6. Mytsyk B., Demyanyshyn N., Andrushchak A., Buryy O. "Photoelastic properties of trigonal crystals," Crystals. – 2021. – Vol. 11, No. 9. – P. 1095 (14) https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091095
    7. Shchur Y., Kityk A.V., Strelchuk V.V., Nikolenko A.S., Andrushchak N.A., Huber P., Andrushchak A.S. "Paraelectric KH2PO4 nanocrystals in monolithic mesoporous silica: Structure and lattice dynamic," J. Alloys Comp. – 2021. – Vol. 868. – P. 159177(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.159177
    8. Mytsyk B., Andrushchak A.S., Vynnyk D.M., Demyanyshyn N.M., Kost Ya.P., Kityk A.V. "Characterization of photoelastic materials by combined Mach-Zehnder and conoscopic interferometry: Application to tetragonal lithium tetraborate crystals," Optics and Lasers in Engineering. – 2020. – V. 127. – P. 10599/1(8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlaseng.2019.105991
    9. Mytsyk B., Suhak Y., Demyanyshyn N., Buryy O., Syvorotka N., Sugak D., Ubizskii S., Fritze H. "Full set of piezo-optic and elasto-optic coefficients of Ca3TaGa3Si2O14 crystals at room temperature," Applied Optics. – 2020. – V. 59, No. 28. – P. 8951-8958. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.398428