Alejandro Rodriguez
University of Central Florida
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Karl Berggren
Research Supervisor: Gian Luca Dolso
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Biography
Alejandro Rodriguez is a rising senior studying Photonic Science and Engineering at the
University of Central Florida. He is a first-generation student who is deeply motivated by the
potential of optics to redefine the future of computation. Previously, as a research assistant in
Dr. Mihai Vaida’s lab at the UCF Department of Physics, he used femtosecond laser systems
to investigate photocatalytic chemical reactions. This introduction to the nanoscale world
inspired him to leverage nanotechnology to tackle broader energy-efficiency challenges.
Currently at MIT, he is working with Dr. Karl Berggren’s Quantum Nanostructures and
Nanofabrication Group to investigate more efficient extreme ultraviolet light generation, a
critical bottleneck for the semiconductor industry. Ultimately, Alejandro seeks to apply his
experience in nanotechnology to photonic computing. As traditional electronic architectures
reach their physical limits, he aims to develop the next-generation photonic processors required
to introduce a faster, more energy-efficient computing paradigm.
Optimizing EUV Outcoupling in Plasmon-Enhanced Solid-State HHG
Alejandro Rodriguez1, Gian Luca Dolso2, Phillip D. Keathley2, and Karl K. Berggren2
1CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida
2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
High harmonic generation (HHG) in solids is a promising approach for creating compact extreme
ultraviolet (EUV) light sources for advanced semiconductor lithography. Surface plasmon polaritons
(SPPs) can intensely concentrate a driving laser field to boost conversion efficiency without inducing
optical damage, but the resulting EUV light remains trapped at the surface as an evanescent, nonpropagating
wave. To extract this radiation into free space, a nanoscale diffraction grating must be
engineered to scatter the light outward without disrupting the underlying plasmon resonance. Here
we show that a two-step 2D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulation can successfully
model and optimize high harmonic outcoupling without sacrificing local field amplification.
By implementing a source model that inherits the phase and localized amplitude profiles of the
fundamental driver, we established a predictive numerical framework capable of evaluating
field enhancement and far-field extraction across a wide range of multilayer geometries. This
approach provides a crucial roadmap to directly inform nanofabrication and experimental testing,
advancing the development of compact and efficient EUV systems for next-generation microchip
manufacturing.
