Gain effect waveguide optical amplifiers for Si microphotonics

(cont.) Er-based gain. We reported the first infrared photoluminescence PL study of Er₂O₃ and found a 7 ms lifetime at 4 K, attributed to a metastable FCC or HCP phase. We showed the thermodynamically stable BCC crystal phase has PL emission lines at 1537 nm and 1550 nm, and metastable FCC and HCP crystal phases result in PL emission lines at 1542 nm and 1533 nm. Upconversion coefficient measurements on the BCC phase and 7 ms lifetime metastable phase gave values of 10⁻¹⁷ and 10⁻¹⁸ cm³/s, respectively. Comparison of room temperature absorption versus 4 K PL of Er₂O₃ and an SiO₂:Er reference showed the BCC phase to be the dominant volume fraction. The calculated WOA power requirements for 3 dB gain in the metastable phase were found to be 450 mW. We examined SiON and Si₃N₄ for high index difference ([delta]n=0.1-0.7) Er host materials. Samples were grown by sputtering, and we investigated the optical materials quality of this process by studying sputtered SiO₂:Er; we report a record co-sputtered SiO₂:Er room temperature lifetime of 14 ms. PL versus heat treatment results strongly indicate the nitride environment of Si₃N₄ favors a higher Er solubility and lower cooperative upconversion than the oxide environment of SiO₂. We measure a 2.4 ms radiative lifetime in co-sputtered Si₃N₄:Er, [approximately] 4x smaller than radiative lifetime reports in ion implanted Si₃N₄:Er PL samples; we attribute this enhancement to an optimized Er ligand field from the sputter process ...

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Saini, Sajan, 1973-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lionel C. Kimerling.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28885

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/28885