Effect of Light Absorption in InGaN/GaN Vertical Light-Emitting Diodes.

For evaluating the effect of light absorption in vertically structured thin film light-emitting diodes (VLEDs), we investigate the dependence of the efficiencies on the several specific parameters including thickness and doping concentration (N(D)) of the n-GaN layer, a design of hetero-structures of the n-GaN layer, and a number of pairs of multi-quantum wells (MQWs). Generally, there is a complementary relation between internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and light extraction efficiency (LEE). However, we confirmed that LEE determined by light absorption is more dominant than IQE in VLED structures with a textured surface, from numerical simulation and experimental results. Effect of light absorption is more prominent in the vertical chip with a textured surface than in that with a flat surface, because a travel length of light extracted from the textured surface is longer. Minimizing light absorption in VLEDs is a key technology for improving light output, and light absorption speaks for the index of enhancement by the general technologies for improving LEE.

Tiny surface plasmon resonance sensor integrated on silicon waveguide based on vertical coupling into finite metal-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguide.

We propose a tiny surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor integrated on a silicon waveguide based on vertical coupling into a finite thickness metal-insulator-metal (f-MIM) plasmonic waveguide structure acting as a Fabry-Perot resonator. The resonant characteristics of vertically coupled f-MIM plasmonic waveguides are theoretically investigated and optimized. Numerical results show that the SPR sensor with a footprint of ~0.0375 µm2 and a sensitivity of ~635 nm/RIU can be designed at a 1.55 µm transmission wavelength.

A new method of Q factor optimization by introducing two nodal wedges in a tuning-fork/fiber probe distance sensor.

We report on a new method of achieving and optimizing a high Q factor in a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) by introducing two nodal wedges to a tuning-fork/fiber probe distance sensor and by selecting a vibrational mode of the dithering sensor. The effect of the nodal wedges on the dynamical properties of the sensor is theoretically analyzed and experimentally confirmed. The optimization achieved by the proposed method is understood from the vibration isolation and the subsequent formation of a local vibration cavity. The optimal condition is found to be less susceptible to the variation of the fiber tip length. This method allows effective NSOM measurement of samples placed even in aqueous solution.

Novel elastic scattering model for the understanding of the Anomalous transmittance for Au nanoparticle layer.

The optical transmission spectra of several samples of gold nanoparticle layers were examined using a modified Drude model proposed with a novel elastic scattering parameter, gamma'. Although the measured transmission spectra deviated from the simple calculation from Mie scattering, it was explained well by the modified model assuming elastic and inelastic scattering in the form of the collision frequency of free electrons within a metal particle due to the particle boundary. The particle-size and inter-particle-distance dependences of gamma' were extracted within the framework of the proposed model from the curve of best fit of the transmittance spectra.

Photonic crystal power-splitter based on directional coupling.

We propose a new power-splitting scheme in two-dimensional photonic crystals that can be applicable to photonic integrated circuits. The proposed power-splitting mechanism is analogous to that of conventional three-waveguide directional couplers, utilizing coupling between guided modes supported by line-defect waveguides. Through the analysis of dispersion curve and field patterns of modes, the position in propagation direction, where an input field is split into a two-folded image, is determined by simple mode analysis. Based on the calculated position, a photonic crystal power-splitter is designed and verified by finite-difference timedomain computation.

Self-imaging phenomena in multi-mode photonic crystal line-defect waveguides: application to wavelength de-multiplexing.

We show that the self-imaging principle still holds true in multimode photonic crystal (PhC) line-defect waveguides just as it does in conventional multi-mode waveguides. To observe the images reproduced by this self-imaging phenomenon, the finite-difference time-domain computation is performed on a multi-mode PhC line-defect waveguide that supports five guided modes. From the computed result, the reproduced images are identified and their positions along the propagation axis are theoretically described by self-imaging conditions which are derived from guided mode propagation analysis. We report a good agreement between the computational simulation and the theoretical description. As a possible application of our work, a photonic crystal 1-to-2 wavelength demultiplexer is designed and its performance is numerically verified. This approach can be extended to novel designs of PhC devices.

Design and fabrication of polarization-insensitive hybrid solgel arrayed waveguide gratings.

We report on the successful design and fabrication of a polarization-insensitive arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), using solgel-derived silica glass films formed on fused-silica substrates. By controlling the waveguide width and making the propagation constants of the polarizations equal, we have found it possible to fabricate polarization-insensitive solgel-based AWGs. Polarization-insensitive design improves the cross talk by approximately 10 dB in the dynamic range.