Abstract: A nano-scale device and method of fabrication provide a nanowire having (111) vertical sidewalls. The nano-scale device includes a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate polished in a [110] direction, the nanowire, and an electrical contact at opposite ends of the nanowire. The method includes wet etching a semiconductor layer of the semiconductor-on-insulator substrate to form the nanowire extending between a pair of islands in the semiconductor layer. The method further includes depositing an electrically conductive material on the pair of islands to form the electrical contacts. A nano-pn diode includes the nanowire as a first nano-electrode, a pn-junction vertically stacked on the nanowire, and a second nano-electrode on a (110) horizontal planar end of the pn-junction. The nano-pn diode may be fabricated in an array of the diodes on the semiconductor-on-insulator substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to mixed-scale electronic interfaces, included in integrated circuits and other electronic devices, that provide for dense electrical interconnection between microscale features of a predominantly microscale or submicroscale layer and nanoscale features of a predominantly nanoscale layer. A method is provided for fabricating a nanoscale/microscale interface having a microscale layer and a predominantly nanoscale layer.

Abstract: Nanowire-based photodiodes are disclosed. The photodiodes include a first optical waveguide having a tapered first end, a second optical waveguide having a tapered second end, and at least one nanowire comprising at least one semiconductor material connecting the first and second ends in a bridging configuration. Methods of making the photodiodes are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for forming a graphene layer is disclosed herein. The method includes establishing an insulating layer on a substrate such that at least one seed region, which exposes a surface of the substrate, is formed. A seed material in the seed region is exposed to a carbon-containing precursor gas, thereby initiating nucleation of the graphene layer on the seed material and enabling lateral growth of the graphene layer along at least a portion of a surface of the insulating layer.

Abstract: A photonic device includes a substrate and at least one molecularly assembled or atomic layer deposited nano-structure defined on the substrate. The nano-structure has a controlled resolution less than or equal to 100 nm.

Abstract: A method of contact lithography includes predicting distortions likely to occur in transferring a pattern from a mold to a substrate during a contact lithography process; and modifying the mold to compensate for the distortions. A contact lithography system includes a design subsystem configured to generate data describing a lithography pattern; an analysis subsystem configured to identify one or more distortions likely to occur when using a mold created from the data; and a mold modification subsystem configured to modify the data to compensate for the one or more distortions identified by the analysis subsystem.

Abstract: An apparatus has multiple sets of independently addressable interdigitated nanowires. Nanowires of a set are in electrical communication with other nanowires of the same set and are electrically isolated from nanowires of other sets.

Abstract: An apparatus and related methods for facilitating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is described. A SERS-active structure near which a plurality of analyte molecules is disposed is periodically deformed at an actuation frequency. A synchronous measuring device synchronized with the actuation frequency receives Raman radiation scattered from the analyte molecules and generates therefrom at least one Raman signal measurement.

Abstract: A nanowire-based photonic device and an array employ nanowires connecting between coaxially arranged electrodes in a non-uniform manner along a vertical extent of the electrodes. The device includes a pair of the electrodes separated by a circumferential gap. The nanowires chaotically emanate from an inner electrode of the pair and connect across the circumferential gap to an outer electrode of the pair. The array includes an outer electrode having an interconnected pattern of cells and inner electrodes, one per cell, arranged coaxially with and separated from the outer electrode by respective circumferential gaps. The nanowires chaotically emanate from the inner electrodes and connect across the respective circumferential gaps of the cells to the outer electrode. The device and the arrays further include a semiconductor junction between the electrodes.

Abstract: A photodetector includes a first layer, a second layer and a plurality of nanowires established between the first and second layers. At least some of the plurality of nanowires have a bandgap that is different from a bandgap of at least some other of the plurality of nanowires.

Abstract: A photonic device and a method of making the device employ a bramble layer of nanowires having an uneven contour. The photonic device and the method include a first layer of a microcrystalline material provided on a substrate surface and a bramble layer of nanowires formed on the first layer. The photonic device and the method further include a second layer provided on the bramble layer. The nanowires have first ends integral to crystallites in the microcrystalline first layer and second ends opposite to the first ends. Different angular orientations of the nanowires provide the uneven contour of the bramble layer. The second layer has an uneven surface corresponding to the uneven contour of the bramble layer.

Abstract: Quantum information processing structures and methods use photons and four-level matter systems in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) arrangements for one and two-qubit quantum gates, two-photon phase shifters, and Bell state measurement devices. For efficient coupling of the matter systems to the photons while decoupling the matter systems from the phonon bath, molecular cages or molecular tethers maintain the atoms within the electromagnetic field of the photon, e.g., in the evanescent field surrounding the core of an optical fiber carrying the photons. To reduce decoherence caused by spontaneous emissions, the matter systems can be embedded in photonic bandgap crystals or the matter systems can be selected to include metastable energy levels.

Abstract: An apparatus and related methods for modulating an electromagnetic radiation beam are described. A composite material is positioned in the path of the radiation beam, the composite material comprising a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines spaced apart by less than a wavelength of the radiation beam and a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines also spaced apart by less than that wavelength. The second lines are positioned in a crossing arrangement with the first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each first line crosses each second line. An electrically programmable impedance memory element is positioned at each crosspoint location and is electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding to that crosspoint location, each impedance memory element having an electrically programmed state. The composite material modulates the radiation beam according to the electrically programmed states of the impedance memory elements.

Abstract: An electrochemically-activated optical switch is provided, comprising a molecular system configured between a pair of electrodes. The molecular system includes a moiety that is oxidizable or reducible in the presence of an electric current.

Abstract: An improved method of forming features on substrates by imprinting is provided. In the method, a polymer solution that contains at least one polymer dissolved in at least one polymerizable monomer and the polymer solution is deposited on the substrate to form a liquid film thereon. Further, the liquid film is cured by causing the at least one monomer to polymerize and optionally cross-linking the at least one polymer to thereby form a polymer film, the polymer film having a glass transition temperature of less than 100° C., and the polymer film is imprinted with a mold having a desired pattern to form a corresponding negative pattern in the polymer film. Alternatively, the liquid film is imprinted with the mold and the liquid film is cured in the presence of the mold to form the polymer film with the negative pattern.

Abstract: Optical devices including waveguide grating structures are described. In accordance with one embodiment, an optical device is provided comprising a horizontal waveguide grating structure having at least one waveguiding layer and at least one subwavelength periodic grating layer. The optical device further comprises upper and lower cladding layers immediately adjoining respective upper and lower surfaces of the waveguide grating structure and having refractive indices lower than a lowest-index one of the waveguiding layers, incident radiation propagating through one of the upper and lower cladding layers toward the waveguide grating structure. The waveguide grating structure is configured for peak reflection of the incident radiation at a peak reflection frequency. A cumulative thickness of the waveguiding layers is less than one tenth of a free space wavelength of the incident radiation at the peak reflection frequency divided by an average refractive index of the waveguiding layers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to mixed-scale electronic interfaces, included in integrated circuits and other electronic devices, that provide for dense electrical interconnection between microscale features of a predominantly microscale or submicroscale layer and nanoscale features of a predominantly nanoscale layer. The predominantly nanoscale layer, in one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a tessellated pattern of submicroscale or microscale pads densely interconnected by nanowire junctions between sets of parallel, closely spaced nanowire bundles. The predominantly submicroscale or microscale layer includes pins positioned complementarily to the submicroscale or microscale pads in the predominantly nanoscale layer.

Abstract: A multi-tiered network for gathering detected condition information includes a first tier having first tier nodes and a second tier having a second tier node. The second tier node is operable to receive detected condition information from at least one of the first tier nodes in a substantially autonomous manner. In addition, the second tier node is operable to at least one of store, process, and transmit the detected condition information. The network also includes a third tier having a third tier node configured to receive the detected condition information and to at least one of store and process the detected condition information.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to quantum-dot-based quantum computer architectures that are scalable and defect tolerant and to methods for fabricating quantum dots in quantum computer architectures. In one embodiment of the present invention, a node of quantum computer architecture comprises a first photonic device supported by a substrate. The quantum computer architecture also includes a number of quantum dots coupled to the first photonic device, and a switch supported by the substrate that controls transmission of electromagnetic waves between a bus waveguide and the quantum dots.

Abstract: A free-space optical communication system includes a detector array having a plurality of detector elements and a transmitting source. Dynamic movement of the optical signal on the detector array is caused by changes in orientation of the transmitting source. A tracker tracks the movement of the optical signal in real-time on the detector array. An output signal is derived from at least one of the detector elements illuminated by the optical signal.