Light emission in silicon-based photonic nanostructures

Bulk silicon is not an efficient light emitter, due to its indirect band gap. It would be extremely important to obtain efficient light emission in silicon-based systems, in view of integrating optical and eletronic functionalities on the same chip. This research focuses on the study of light emission of Erbium ions at telecom wavelengths, in two different kinds of silicon-based systems:

In both cases, luminescence around 1.54 micron wavelength may be tailored by the realization of photonic nanostructures like slot waveguides or photonic crystals. For example, we have demonstrated enhancement of vertical emission in silicon-based waveguides with photonic crystals, as well as enhancement of transverse-magnetic emission and reduction of lifetime by e.m. field confinement in planar slot waveguides.

Participants:

L.C. Andreani, C. Creatore, M. Galli, D. Gerace, M. Liscidini, R. Lo Savio, M. Patrini, S. Portalupi

Collaborations:

CNR-IMM MATIS, Catania, Italy

ST Microelectronics, Catania, Italy

School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, U.K.

Institut Néel, CNRS, Grenoble, France

Projects:

LECSIN - Lasing of Erbium in Crystalline Silicon Photonic Nanostructures

Key publications:

Room temperature all-silicon photonic crystal nanocavity light emitting diode at sub-bandgap wavelengths,

A. Shakoor, R. Lo Savio, P. Cardile, S. L. Portalupi, D. Gerace, K. Welna, S. Boninelli, G. Franzo', F. Priolo, T. F. Krauss, M. Galli, L. O'Faolain,

Laser and Photonics Reviews 7, 114 - 121 (2013). COVER. PDF

Electrical conduction and optical properties of doped silicon-on-insulator photonic crystals,

P. Cardile, G. Franzo', R. Lo Savio, M. Galli, T. F. Krauss, F. Priolo, and L. O'Faolain,

Applied Physics Letters 98, 203506 (2011). PDF

Room temperature emission at telecom wavelengths from silicon photonic crystal nanocavities,

R. Lo Savio, S. L. Portalupi, D. Gerace, A. Shakoor, T. F. Krauss, L. O'Faolain, L. C. Andreani, and M. Galli,

Applied Physics Letters 98, 201106 (2011). PDF

Modification of erbium radiative lifetime in planar silicon slot waveguides,

C. Creatore, L. C. Andreani, M. Miritello, R. Lo Savio, and F. Priolo,

Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 103112 (2009). PDF

Direct evidence of light confinement and emission enhancement in active silicon-on-insulator slot waveguides,

M. Galli, D. Gerace, A. Politi, M. Liscidini, M. Patrini, L.C. Andreani, A. Canino, M. Miritello, R. Lo Savio, A. Irrera, and F. Priolo,

Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 241114 (2006). PDF

Strong enhancement of Er3+ emission at room temperature in silicon-on-insulator photonic crystal waveguides,

M. Galli, A. Politi, M. Belotti, D. Gerace, M. Liscidini, M. Patrini, L.C. Andreani, M. Miritello, A. Irrera, F. Priolo, and Y. Chen,

Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 251114 (2006). PDF