TPCI - Materials Syntesis and Physical Chemistry

The Photonics Clean Room (Class 1000) laboratory is installed in a closed laboratory area of ca. 33.5 m2 with an integrated Laminar Flow system for the control and restriction of microparticles and airborne pollutants supported by an integrated HEPA-type air filtration and filtering system.

The laboratory includes instruments and experimental installations for the optical characterization and development of photonic devices and sensors such as:

Mechanical profilometer

Mechanical profilometer Alphastep 500 IQ (KLA-Tencor Alpha-Step 500 IQ Surface Profiler).

Computerized interface high-sensitivity surface profiler, measuring roughness, waviness and step height. Able to measure micro roughness with up to 1 Angstrom resolution.

Computer interface offers measurement control, data storage and data analysis features.

Optical lithographic patterning system

Optical lithographic patterning system
with high power UV lamp.

High energy femtosecond laser for micromachining and nonlinear experiments

High energy femtosecond laser for micromachining and nonlinear experiments

The femtosecond laser is an Yb-de doped based fiber laser, with >1 μJoule pulse energy at 1064 nm operating wavelength, and pulse duration of 370 fs. The laser unit is the “Fianium HE-1060-1μJ-fs” model which is maintenance-free and air-cooled designed for 24/7 reliable operation. The high-power fiber laser is equipped with an additional output pulse modulator, enabling selection of repetition rates from 1MHz down to a single pulse with modulated also pulse amplitudes. Laser operation is fully computer controlled.

Optical fiber measurement system

Optical fiber measurement system

Consists of a FITEL Fiber Fusion splicer and cleaver, diode laser sources at 470, 532, 647 and 1550 nm, a 10W air cooled CO₂ laser, one Leukos Supercontinuum Laser, two digital oscilloscopes (Tektronix), three X-Y-Z Platforms (ThorLabs), one Ocean Optical fiber oxygen sensor, one ThorLabs portable spectrophotometer, three ThorLabs light meters, one optical microscope, one ANDO optical spectrum analyzer, various LED sources, polarization controllers, a slit beam profiler, (200-1100 nm, metric ThorLabs), as well as a PM100D power energy meter with thermal power head, (100μW2W ThorLabs).

The above laboratory equipment is used through the flexible organization and development of specialized experimental installations or units for the following applications.

Development of optical micro-fibers

Development of optical micro-fibers
The system includes three motorized stages, three X-Y-Z microtransmission systems with 125 μm V-grooves for optical fiber retention and a controlled flow system for micro-flame production using an oxygen-butane mixture. The system is controlled by software in Lab View 8.1 environment, which allows the calculation of all parameters for the shape and length of micro-fibers, as well as the control of all the devices of the experimental installation.

Characterization of common optical fibers and photonic crystal fibers (PCF)

Characterization of common optical fibers and photonic crystal fibers (PCF)

The system for the characterization of common optical fibers and photonic crystal fibers includes visible / infrared sources and spectral imaging in the ANDO optical spectrum analyzer with a spectral resolution range of 400-1750 nm.

Optical sensor control and characterization System

Optical sensor control and characterization System
The system includes controlled flow and gas mixing metal chambers via accurate Flow Controllers. The whole system is fully automatic and it is driven using Lab View 8.1 software. It is used for the characterization of fiber optic sensors, integrated optical technology sensors, remote laser beam sensors and fluorescence sensors.

System for the processing and characterization of multimode optical fibers

System for the processing and characterization of multimode optical fibers
The system includes (a) Heat treatment for plastic deformation in polymeric optical fibers and development of sensory heads, and (b) Surface modification of optical fibers and chemical sensitization by deposition of polymeric or other thin super-layers.

System for optical precision micromachining of polymeric and hybrid materials for photonic applications

System for optical precision micromachining of polymeric and hybrid materials for photonic applications

The micromachining system uses the femtosecond Laser Fianium HE-1060-1μJ-fs (Laser micromachining) for the formation of microstructures and nanostructures in a wide range of materials, from polymeric to metallic surfaces.

System for nonlinear fiber optics

System for nonlinear fiber optics

The system uses ultrashort (320 fs) laser pulses (for the Fianium HE-1060-1μJ-fs laser) for conducting non-linear optic experiments in optical fiber and in specific hybrid and plasmonic fibers.