Alejandro Rodriguez

Alejandro Rodriguez

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. Berggren^2
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.