We report on the first direct experimental observation of carrier multiplication in graphene reaching a multiplication factor of up to 2 and persisting on a picoseconds time scale. Exploiting multicolor pump-probe measurement techniques, the excited nonequilibrium carrier distribution is retrieved on an ultrafast time scale. This provides access to the temporal evolution of the optically excited carrier density and thus allows quantitative conclusions on possible carrier multiplication. Microscopic time- and momentum-resolved calculations on the ultrafast relaxation dynamics of optically excited carriers confirm the observation of carrier multiplication under corresponding experimental conditions, suggesting graphene as a promising material for novel high-efficiency photodetection devices.

We present all-optical switching in oxygen ion implanted silicon microring resonators. Time-dependent signal modulation is achieved by shifting resonance wavelengths of microrings through the plasma dispersion effect via femtosecond photogeneration of electron-hole pairs and subsequent trapping at implantation induced defect states. We observe a switching time of 25 ps at extinction ratio of 9 dB and free carrier lifetime of 15 ps for an implantation dose of 7 x 10(12) cm(-2). The influence of implantation dose on the switching speed and additional propagation losses of the silicon waveguide--the latter as a result of implantation induced amorphization--is carefully evaluated and in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

We demonstrate high-speed all-optical switching via vertical excitation of an electron-hole plasma in an oxygen-ion implanted silicon-on-insulator microring resonator. Based on the plasma dispersion effect the spectral response of the device is rapidly modulated by photoinjection and subsequent recombination of charge carriers at artificially introduced fast recombination centers. At an implantation dose of 1 x 10(12) cm(-2) the carrier lifetime is reduced to 55 ps, which facilitates optical switching of signal light in the 1.55 mum wavelength range at modulation speeds larger than 5 Gbits/s.

Graphene is an ideal material to study fundamental Coulomb-and phonon-induced carrier scattering processes. Its remarkable gapless and linear band structure opens up new carrier relaxation channels. In particular, Auger scattering bridging the valence and the conduction band changes the number of charge carriers and gives rise to a significant carrier multiplicationan ultrafast many-particle phenomenon that is promising for the design of highly efficient photodetectors. Furthermore, the vanishing density of states at the Dirac point combined with ultrafast phonon-induced intraband scattering results in an accumulation of carriers and a population inversion suggesting the design of graphene-based terahertz lasers. Here, we review our work on the ultrafast carrier dynamics in graphene and Landau-quantized graphene is presented providing a microscopic view on the appearance of carrier multiplication and population inversion.

We demonstrate the suitability of microcavities based on circular grating resonators (CGRs) as fast switches. This type of optical resonator is characterized by a high quality factor and very small mode volume. The waveguide-coupled CGRs are fabricated with silicon-on-insulator technology compatible with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing. The linear optical properties of the CGRs are investigated by transmission spectroscopy. From 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations of isolated CGRs, we identify the measured resonances. We probe the spatial distribution and the parasitic losses of a resonant optical mode with scanning near-field optical microscopy. We observe fast all-optical switching within a few picoseconds by optically generating free charge carriers within the cavity.

We report on the characteristics of a host-guest lasing system obtained by coevaporation of an oligo(9,9-diarylfluorene) derivative named T3 with the red-emitter 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran dye (DCM). We demonstrate that the ambipolar semiconductor T3 can be implemented as an active matrix in the realization of a host-guest system in which an efficient energy transfer takes place from the T3 matrix to the lasing DCM molecules. We performed a detailed spectroscopic study on the system by systematically varying the DCM concentration in the T3 matrix. Measurements of steady-state photoluminescence (PL), PL quantum yield (PLQY), time-resolved picosecond PL, and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold are used to optimize the acceptor concentration at which the ASE from DCM molecules takes place with the lowest threshold. The sample with a DCM relative deposition ratio of 2% shows an ASE threshold as low as 0.6 kW/cm(2) and a net optical gain measured by femtosecond time-resolved pump-and-probe spectroscopy as high as 77 cm(-1). The reference model system Alq(3):DCM sample measured in exactly the same experimental conditions presents an one-order-of-magnitude higher ASE threshold. The ASE threshold of T3:DCM is the lowest reported to date for a molecular host-guest energy-transfer system, which makes the investigated blend an appealing system for use as an active layer in lasing devices. In particular, the ambipolar charge transport properties of the T3 matrix and its field-effect characteristics make the host-guest system presented here an ideal candidate for the realization of electrically pumped organic lasers.

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