This dissertation examines the fundamental physical properties and material processing methods required to design and fabricate the next generation of optical modulators based on the vanadium dioxide metal-insulator transition. All-optical devices capable of performing at GHz speeds, which are only limited by the laser pulse duration, were designed, fabricated and tested. Broad-band pump-probe experiments examined the femtosecond phase transition dynamics in vanadium dioxide when excited at a range of wavelengths from 400 nm to 1500 nm and indicate that THz modulation speeds could be achieved. In addition, fabrication methods and doping were explored as paths to tune the phase transition properties. The optical modulator design and material performance are discussed in the context of current state-of-the-art technology.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-01142016-103233 |
| Date | 19 January 2016 |
| Creators | Marvel, Robert Edward |
| Contributors | Timothy Hanusa, Norman Tolk, Bridget Rogers, Richard Haglund, Jason Valentine |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-01142016-103233/ |
| Rights | restricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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