Ferroelectric materials have been extensively explored for various practical applications such as nonvolatile memories and capacitors. Of particular interest is the strong electro-optic effect in many ferroelectrics that is absent in silicon. Recently, thin-film ferroelectric materials have attracted increasing attention as advanced functional photonic materials in CMOS compatible silicon photonics. While proof-of-concept demonstrations of functional ferroelectric layers have already been given, neither the manufacturing nor characterization can cope with the challenges posed by a future chip-scale photonic fabrication.
In this interdisciplinary project, we will investigate the light-matter interaction of epi-grown thin-film ferroelectric materials and develop the related manufacturing and characterization technologies. As an outcome of the project we envision a deep and comprehensive understanding of the photo-responsive process of ferroelectric thin-films and the establishment of a platform for CMOS compatible ferroelectric thin-films and enabled innovative optical devices. Swiss, Japanese and Italian project partners will work on the device design and fabrication, film integration, material and device characterization, respectively, with mutual collaborations.