Development of high energy ion beam technology for etching and depositing advanced functional materials

Optical and functional thin film coatings play a central role in technologies that surround us. Many emerging technologies, particularly those associated with lasers and optical sensing technologies, are demanding unprecedented performances which are challenging for the photonics industry to meet. In the field of gravitational wave astronomy, the UK has played a leading role in the development of ion beam deposition, particularly the development of both state-of-the-art and next generation (high energy) processes to help address these needs. These technologies hold significant potential for the fabrication of advanced optical and functional materials that can address emerging challenges across various sectors, far beyond the field of astrophysics. This project will develop a new platform to simultaneously investigate etching and thin film deposition using novel high energy ion sources. These ion sources use electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) to generate confined plasmas that can be accelerated through single aperture electrostatic grids, allowing extraction potentials that can exceed 10kV. These process parameters have been shown to manufacture materials with properties that are different to all other deposition procedures, and therefore opens up opportunities to explore new and enhanced applications. Applications that are explored will include the surface etching (to remove defects) and coating (to provide robustness) to monolithic silicon suspensions required for 3rd generation gravitational wave detectors e.g. Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope.