Narrow-Linewidth Tunable Laser Source for Probing Excitons and Polaritons in Layered Hybrid Light-Matter Devices

This DURIP proposal seeks funding to acquire a narrow-linewidth tunable continuous wave laser source for spectroscopy of excitons, polaritons, and other hybrid excitations in atomically-thin materials. The ability to combine two-dimensional layered materials into heterostructures has created the possibility of manipulating opto-electronic properties with atomic-scale structural control, allowing integration into low-dimensional nanostructures and photonic cavity devices with non-trivial coherence and topological phenomena. Probing and manipulating these features requires precise optical sources and wide tunability adaptable to various engineered systems of interest. The scientific objective of this laser acquisition is to provide state-of-the-art high-resolution excitation capability across the relevant spectrum for layered nanomaterial heterostructures. With large scan ranges, narrow linewidth, high power, and nonlinear mixing for wide tunability, the instrumentation will provide flexible and high performance specifications that will catalyze a long-term experimental program in cavity spectroscopy of hybrid photonics with integrated nanomaterials. The sealed design of the tunable laser provides superior output specifications and streamlined user experience that will contribute to the training of graduate and undergraduate students in optical spectroscopy, helping build a strong technical workforce. The ability for this laser source to advance new types of spectroscopy represents a long-term investment in the capabilities of newly-constructed optical laboratory facilities that will impact DoD scientific interests.