Charge state switching of deep levels for low-power optical modulation in silicon waveguides.

We demonstrate a method for the efficient modulation of optical wavelengths around 1550 nm in silicon waveguides. The amplitude of a propagating signal is mediated via control of the charge state of indium centers, rather than using free-carriers alone as in the plasma-dispersion effect. A 1×1 switch formed of an integrated p-i-n junction in an indium-doped silicon on insulator (SOI) waveguide provides 'normally-off' silicon absorption of greater than 7 dB at zero bias. This loss is decreased to 2.8 dB with application of a 6 V applied reverse bias, with a power consumption of less than 1 µW.

Optical attenuation in ion-implanted silicon waveguide racetrack resonators.

The optical absorption at wavelengths near 1550 nm has been quantified as a function of annealing temperature in ion-implanted silicon-on-insulator racetrack resonators. The variation of the output characteristics of the bus waveguide versus the concentration of implantation-induced lattice disorder in the ring is used to develop a novel method for the determination of the coupling and round-trip loss of the resonator, independently. This experimental procedure has general applicability for the determination of these parameters. Significant propagation loss is found to persist following annealing at temperatures previously observed to remove the majority of ion implantation damage. It is suggested that these annealing characteristics are a consequence of an ion implantation range which is greater than the silicon waveguide layer thickness.

Defect-mediated resonance shift of silicon-on-insulator racetrack resonators.

We present a study on the effects of inert ion implantation of Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) racetrack resonators. Selective ion implantation was used to create deep-level defects within a portion of the resonator. The resonant wavelength and round-trip loss were deduced for a range of sequential post-implantation annealing temperatures from 100 to 300 °C. As the devices were annealed there was a concomitant change in the resonance wavelength, consistent with an increase in refractive index following implantation and recovery toward the pre-implanted value. A total shift in resonance wavelength of ~2.9 nm was achieved, equivalent to a 0.02 increase in refractive index. The excess loss upon implantation increased to 301 dB/cm and was reduced to 35 dB/cm following thermal annealing. In addition to providing valuable data for those incorporating defects within resonant structures, we suggest that these results present a method for permanent tuning (or trimming) of ring resonator characteristics.

Silicon photonic resonator-enhanced defect-mediated photodiode for sub-bandgap detection.

We describe, model and demonstrate a tunable micro-ring resonator integrated monolithically with a photodiode in a silicon waveguide device. The photodiode is made sensitive to wavelengths at and around 1550nm via the introduction of lattice damage through selective ion implantation. The ring resonator enhances detector responsivity in a 60 mum long waveguide photodiode such that it is 0.14 A/W at -10Vbias with less than 0.2 nA leakage current. The device is tunable such that resonance (and thus detection) can be achieved at any wavelength from 1510 - 1600 nm. We also demonstrate use of the device as a digital switch with integrated power monitoring, 20 dB extinction, and no optical power tapped from the output path to the photodiode. A theoretical description suggests that for a critically coupled resonator where the round trip loss is dominated by the excess defects used to mediate detection, the maximum responsivity is independent of device length. This leads to the possibility of extremely small detector geometries in silicon photonics with no requirement for the use of III-V materials or germanium.

Silicon photonic dynamic optical channel leveler with external feedback loop.

We demonstrate a dynamic optical channel leveler composed of a variable optical attenuator (VOA) integrated monolithically with a defect-mediated photodiode in a silicon photonic waveguide device. An external feedback loop mimics an analog circuit such that the photodiode directly controls the VOA to provide blind channel leveling within +/-1 dB across a 7-10 dB dynamic range for wavelengths from 1530 nm to 1570 nm. The device consumes approximately 50 mW electrical power and occupies a 6 mm x 0.1 mm footprint per channel. Dynamic leveling is accomplished without tapping optical power from the output path to the photodiode and thus the loss penalty is minimized.

Optical modulation in silicon waveguides via charge state control of deep levels.

The control of defect mediated optical absorption at a wavelength of 1550 nm via charge state manipulation is demonstrated using optical absorption measurements of indium doped Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) rib waveguides. These measurements introduce the potential for modulation of waveguide transmission by using the local depletion and injection of free-carriers to change deep-level occupancy. The extinction ratio and modulating speed are simulated for a proposed device structure. A 'normally-off' depletion modulator is described with an extinction coefficient limited to 5 dB/cm and switching speeds in excess of 1 GHz. For a carrier injection modulator a fourfold enhancement in extinction ratio is provided relative to free carrier absorption alone. This significant improvement in performance is achieved with negligible increase in driving power but slightly degraded switching speed.

Individually-addressable flip-chip AlInGaN micropixelated light emitting diode arrays with high continuous and nanosecond output power.

Micropixelated blue (470 nm) and ultraviolet (370 nm) AlInGaN light emitting diode ('micro-LED') arrays have been fabricated in flip-chip format with different pixel diameters (72 microm and 30 microm at, respectively, 100 and 278 pixels/mm(2)). Each micro-LED pixel can be individually-addressed and the devices possess a specially designed n-common contact incorporated to ensure uniform current injection and consequently uniform light emission across the array. The flip-chip micro-LEDs show, per pixel, high continuous output intensity of up to 0.55 microW/microm(2) (55 W/cm(2)) at an injection current density of 10 kA/cm(2) and can sustain continuous injection current densities of up to 12 kA/cm(2) before breakdown. We also demonstrate that nanosecond pulsed output operation of these devices with per pixel onaxis average peak intensity up to 2.9 microW/microm(2) (corresponding to energy of 45pJ per 22ns optical pulse) can be achieved. We investigate the pertinent performance characteristics of these arrays for micro-projection applications, including the prospect of integrated optical pumping of organic semiconductor lasers.

Optical waveguide laser using an rf sputtered Nd:glass film.

Nd:glass optical waveguides were fabricated on silicon substrates by rf sputtering. Lasing was achieved at a wavelength of 1.05 microm with a dye laser pump threshold of approximately 100 m W.

Waveguide-detector couplers for integrated optics and monolithic optoelectronic switching arrays.

An integrated waveguide-detector coupler (IWDC), in which a controlled fraction of the optical power in a waveguide is selectively coupled to a detector element, has been investigated. The device structure consists of a rib waveguide formed from a sputtered Corning 7059 glass film on an oxidized silicon substrate. A photoconductive detector is fabricated on the same substrate, and the degree of coupling is controlled by tapering the SiO(2) cladding layer thickness in the region between the electrodes and by varying the interaction length. Couplers with cladding layer thicknesses ranging from 0.15 to 0.80 microm in the detector interaction region were measured to have coupling values from 400 to 1500 dB/cm for TE modes and to 5800 dB/cm for TM modes, in good agreement with theory. The first integrated optoelectronic 2 x 2 switching matrix using IWDCs as switching cross-points has been demonstrated. We have shown that the passive power splitting in the integrated switch is nearly the ideal 50%.

Tunable-diode-laser measurements of gain in optically pumped NH(3).

A tunable-diode laser is used for the first reported time to make gain measurements in a cw optically pumped 12-microm NH(3) amplifier. The tunability of the diode laser enables us to demonstrate that no inversion exists in the 12-microm laser and that Raman processes are responsible for the gain. High-sensitivity techniques allow gain coefficients as low as 0.001%/cm to be detected, and the experimental measurements are found to be in good agreement with theory.