Final Report Summary - ALLOPTICS (ALL-OPTIcal signal processing on-Chip in hybrid III-V/ Si integrated platforms)
During the ALLOPTICS project (http://inl.cnrs.fr/alloptics/) advances have been made into the design of new slow light structures created into a semiconductor layer that are embedded into silica. These designs should be more robust than suspended membranes used so far, while enhancing the light-matter interaction for decreasing the power consumption of the resulting devices. They should allow for the creation of efficient nonlinear devices while improving heat dissipation, a critical issue for nonlinear applications.
We have experimentally identified a promising CMOS compatible platform, hydrogenated amorphous silicon, with the right combination of nonlinear properties in the Telecom band. Our measurements performed onto preliminary photonic crystal structures made in this material are promising but on-going fabrication optimization is required to reach the level of performance needed for applications. This platform should eventually sustain the creation of highly efficient nonlinear devices for all-optical signal processing and routing.
We exploited slow light enhanced nonlinear optics for the creation of highly compact and integrated optical auto-correlators that are capable of measuring short near-infrared pulses in the time-domain.
Finally, we developed a novel CMOS compatible SiGe-based platform for nonlinear optics in a spectral window that has been less explored, i.e. the mid-IR, but with many promising applications. We assessed the nonlinear properties of this platform, which should result in the creation of broadband optical sources with great implications for on-chip biosensing.