Integrated plasmonic circuitry on a vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor laser platform

Integrated plasmonic sources and detectors are imperative in the practical development of plasmonic circuitry for bio- and chemical sensing, nanoscale optical information processing, as well as transducers for high-density optical data storage. Here we show that vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) can be employed as an on-chip, electrically pumped source or detector of plasmonic signals, when operated in forward or reverse bias, respectively. To this end, we experimentally demonstrate surface plasmon polariton excitation, waveguiding, frequency conversion and detection on a VCSEL-based plasmonic platform. The coupling efficiency of the VCSEL emission to waveguided surface plasmon polariton modes has been optimized using asymmetric plasmonic nanostructures. The plasmonic VCSEL platform validated here is a viable solution for practical realizations of plasmonic functionalities for various applications, such as those requiring sub-wavelength field confinement, refractive index sensitivity or optical near-field transduction with electrically driven sources, thus enabling the realization of on-chip optical communication and lab-on-a-chip devices

The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2020

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 21st annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, John R. Broderick, the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Although our devotion to this work remains steadfast, our enthusiasm, admittedly, has been dampened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the toll it has taken on the region, Commonwealth and nation. In consideration of the national conversation on race and inequality, we have included additional material to shed light on how race affects economic outcomes in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads plays a significant role in our nation’s national security, provides college education to thousands of Virginians, is working to adapt to sea level rise and is culturally diverse. There are challenges, of course, but, as the adage goes, challenge and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. To adapt, improve and overcome, we must understand where we are and where we want to go. Our work seeks to contribute to this conversation without glossing over the challenges we face

The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2019

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 20th annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, John R. Broderick, the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. While the enthusiasm we have for our work remains high, it has been dampened by the recent passing of George Dragas, the individual most responsible for perceiving the region\u27s need for the report and procuring the financial support to sustain it. George was a very successful businessman, who simultaneously exhibited marvelous foresight and a keen sense of civic duty. Without George and his family, there would be no State of the Region Report and no Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. We and the Hampton Roads community are indebted to him

The State of the Region: Hampton Roads 2022

[From the introductory material] This is Old Dominion University’s 23rd annual State of the Region Report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, its president, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., the Board of Visitors, the Strome College of Business or the generous donors who support the activities of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Over the past year, we have experienced the continued uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of inflation, and geopolitical shocks that have affected our daily lives. We live, for better or worse, in uncertain times, and our resilience is likely to be tested in the coming years. The question before us remains the same as in many previous reports: How can we invigorate economic growth as a region that raises the fortunes of all, not just the most fortunate? We only need to look at neighboring metropolitan areas for examples of how setting aside parochial differences and working together can yield a sum that is greater than its parts. Hampton Roads faces two generational challenges: sea-level rise and the revolution in military affairs due to the transformative impact of unmanned weapons on the modern battlefield. If challenge and opportunity are two sides of the same coin, we must move beyond talk and into action, else we may be left behind. Our work seeks to inform without minimizing the challenges facing the region or downplaying the opportunities to emerge stronger and more resilient from the experiences of the past

High speed reconfiguration of dual-purpose vertical cavity surface emitting laser/detector

High-speed configuration results of a conventional 850 nm VCSEL that is modified to operate as an efficient avalanche detector as well as a laser are discussed. The measured laser-to-detector reconfiguration delay of 3.2 ns is longer than the 1.2 ns detector-to-detector reconfiguration delay