Potential for large optical gain improvement of erbium-doped slot waveguide amplifiers in silicon photonics

Abstract

The potential for on-chip optical amplification at λ s 1530 nm in silicon photonics using erbium-doped rich polymers integrated in silicon-slot waveguides is investigated by using a four-level spectroscopic model and a pumping wavelength of 1.48 μm. It is shown that the key parameter driving the whole amplification efficiency is the slot waveguide linear loss level, while optimization of the hollow core waveguide cross section leads to a slot width around 130 nm. Our investigations show that an on-chip optical gain of about 10 dB can be obtained with 7 dB∕cm loss slot waveguides. Such a propagation loss is directly sustained by experimental results obtained for photonic structures fabricated using silicon technology. Due to the likelihood of improved technological processes in the near future, the slot waveguide loss level was swept in the 3-10 dB∕cm range, showing that on-chip optical gain up to 30 dB can be seriously envisaged for slot waveguides with optimized optical losses around 3 dB∕cm.

High-Performance All-Optical Modulator Based on Graphene-hBN Heterostructures

“…where Γ = 1 − κ is the coupling loss, A ns is the non-saturable fraction of A G [43]- [45], and is taken as 5% for monolayer graphene [14], [44], and A WG is the slot waveguide loss that is not related to graphene. A 7 dB/cm propagation loss has been reported in [37], for a silicon slot waveguide with an 80 nm wide slot. This propagation loss is 3 orders of magnitude lower than the propagation loss that is induced by double layer graphene (∼ 0.35 dB/µm).…”

“…Therefore, the TE mode is taken as the optimal mode for an 80 nm wide slot, because the absorption efficiency is very high at d = 80 nm, and silicon slot waveguides with a similar width have been demonstrated in refs. [33], [37]. Fig.…”

Gain characteristics of the hybrid slot waveguide amplifiers integrated with NaYF4:Er3+ NPs-PMMA covalently linked nanocomposites

“…5 and pumping at 1480 nm was chosen owing to the excessive loss absorption at 980 nm in the silicon layers forming the slot waveguide. 31 To achieve a more accurate simulation, the cooperative upconversion (C up ), cross-relaxation (C 14 ), and non-radiative decays (A 43 , A 32 ) are involved. The operational principle of the amplier pumped at 1480 nm is as follows: the Er 3+ ions in the Therefore, the rate equations were established and then solved using a formulized iteration method.…”

Atomic Layer Engineering of Er-Ion Distribution in Highly Doped Er:Al2O3 for Photoluminescence Enhancement

“…Recently, rare-earth-ion-doped (REID) materials have drawn significant attention in integrated photonics as an alternative solution for on-chip amplification and generation of light over III–V semiconductor compounds. , The unambiguous advantages of using REID materials in integrated photonics are vast. For example, REID materials can be integrated in silicon photonics technology with no major challenges; − their long excited state lifetime enables them to be operated in high bit-rate systems; and their fabrication is straightforward and cheap .…”