Abstract
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have designed and developed a low-cost way to combine optical devices onto a compact, stable integrated chip that operates over octave-spanning or multi-octave spectral windows. The invention provides the telecommunications industry with a new photonics platform produced using a unique, repeatable manufacturing method that yields wafer-scale systems with extremely low propagation losses and a wide transparency window.
Technical Details
The UCF invention comprises an integrated photonics structure and fabrication methods. The structure is a robust, efficient platform for building high-speed, high-quality optical devices. For example, the structure can consist of semiconductor layers stacked on top of a substrate of bulk semiconductor material. One or more trench-like openings, separated by posts, serve to isolate part of the stack from the underlying substrate, forming a suspended semiconductor membrane. The semiconductor membrane is an optically active layer that defines a waveguiding region, such as a multiple quantum well or a two-dimensional electron gas channel. The region confines an optical mode to the center of the semiconductor stack. Manufacturers can also implant the layers with p-type or n-type dopants. The resulting structure resolves issues of conventional integrated photonic devices, such as thermal insulation, elevated temperatures at the laser junction, and bulky active regions.
Benefit
Boosts performance in harsh environments and provides greatly improved thermal managementReduces power consumption and increases operational lifetimesMarket Application
Integrated lasers, modulators or high-speed optical detectors that operate in the 1.55 ?m wavelengthTelecommunications
Brochure
