KNI Distinguished Seminar

Speaker: Hong Tang

Talk Title: "Integrated Chi(2) Nonlinear Photonics"

Abstract

The ability to generate and manipulate photons with high efficiency and coherence is of critical importance for both fundamental quantum optics studies and practical device applications. However mainstream integrated photonic platforms such as those based on silicon and silicon nitride lack the preferred cubic nonlinearity, which limits active photon control functionalities. In this talk, Professor Hong Tang will present integrated photonics based on aluminum nitride (AlN), whose wurtzite crystal structure gives rise to the strong second-order optical nonlinearity and piezoelectric effect. Together with its low optical and mechanical losses, the integrated AlN photonics can provide enhanced cubic photon-photon interactions to achieve high fidelity photon control, including on-chip parametric down-conversion, coherent light conversion, spectral-temporal shaping, and microwave-to-optical frequency conversions.

Biography

Hong Tang is the Llewellyn West Jones, Jr. Professor of Electrical Engineering, Physics and Applied Physics at Yale University. He obtained his B.S. degree at the University of Science and Technology of China and Ph.D. at Caltech. His research utilizes integrated photonic circuits to study photon-photon, photon-mechanics and photon-spin interactions. He has been on Yale faculty since 2006. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering.

The KNI Distinguished Seminar Series is a new monthly series hosted by The Kavli Nanoscience Institute where eminent scientists and thinkers with strong yet varied backgrounds in nanoscience and nanotechnology share their expertise with the Caltech community. Seminars consist of a one-hour presentation, followed by a Q&A and light reception. The scopes of presentations may range from: recent outstanding scientific highlights/technological advancements, to innovative early-stage research developments, to broader cross-disciplinary topics that are relevant to nanoscience. Each seminar will be recorded and made available to the public via the KNI's YouTube channel.