Silicon nanocrystals in silica-Novel active waveguides for nanophotonics

P. Janda, J. Valenta*, T. Ostatnický, E. Skopalová, I. Pelant, R. G. Elliman, R. Tomasiunas

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    10 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Nanophotonic structures combining electronic confinement in nanocrystals with photon confinement in photonic structures are potential building blocks of future Si-based photonic devices. Here, we present a detailed optical investigation of active planar waveguides fabricated by Si+-ion implantation (400 keV, fluences from 3 to 6×1017 cm-2) of fused silica and thermally oxidized Si wafers. Si nanocrystals formed after annealing emit red-IR photoluminescence (PL) (under UV-blue excitation) and define a layer of high refractive index that guides part of the PL emission. Light from external sources can also be coupled into the waveguides (directly to the polished edge facet or from the surface by applying a quartz prism coupler). In both cases the optical emission from the sample facet exhibits narrow polarization-resolved transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes instead of the usual broad spectra characteristic of Si nanocrystals. This effect is explained by a theoretical model which identifies the microcavity-like peaks as leaking modes propagating below the waveguide/substrate boundary. We present also permanent changes induced by intense femtosecond laser exposure, which can be applied to write structures like gratings into the Si-nanocrystalline waveguides. Finally, we discuss the potential for application of these unconventional and relatively simple all-silicon nanostructures in future photonic devices.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)267-273
    Number of pages7
    JournalJournal of Luminescence
    Volume121
    Issue number2 SPEC. ISS.
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2006

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