Impact of the annealing temperature on the optical performances of Er-doped Si-rich silica systems Impact of the annealing temperature on the optical performances of Er-doped Si-rich Silica systems

International audienceSeries of Er-doped Si-rich silicon oxide (SRSO:Er) layers were grown by magnetron sputtering at different temperatures from ambient to 500°C and then annealed between 600°C and 1100°C. They were characterized by spectroscopic and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Significant PL was detected at 1533 nm from the as-grown samples at T≥300°C excited by a non-resonant wavelength (476 nm), hence indicating the formation of Si-based sensitizers during the growth process. The PL intensity and the decay lifetime of Er 3+ ions were both greatly increased with the annealing temperature. An optimum temperature of annealing is obtained at 800°C, which is expected to favor the formation of very dense and small sensitizers. The fraction of Er coupled to sensitizers was found nearly 6-7 times higher than that reported so far in the literature. 1. Introduction The effective excitation cross section of Er 3+ ions in SiO 2 is increased by 10 3-10 4 with the insertion of Si-based sensitizers in the matrix. It was shown that an indirect excitation of Er 3+ ions occurs through Si nanoclusters (Si-nc) [1,2]. Such an energy transfer allows one to benefit from the broadband high absorbance of Si-nc for optical excitation and from the improved transport of carriers injected by electrical excitation. This paves the way to the achievement of Er 3+ population inversion by either optical or electrical pumping for integrated photonics, such as planar amplifier, laser, etc. Recent studies reported that, in conventional SRSO:Er materials, only a small fraction (<2%) of Er 3+ ions are effectively benefiting from the Si-nc-mediated excitation [3]. Such a low value is far from ensuring an inversion population of Er 3+ , but requires, on the contrary, more efforts and studies to enhance significantly the proportion of coupled Er in SRSO:Er samples. These latter are usually submitted to annealing processes to form Si nanoclusters (Si-nc) as sensitizers, to remove non-radiative defects and to activate (optically) the Er 3+ ions. Such a treatment may change, however, the structure of either the Si-based sensitizers or the Er 3+ ions. This work aims at investigating the influence of growth and annealing temperature on the optical properties of the SRSO:Er layers and to correlate it to the proportion of Er coupled to sensitizers

Thickness-dependent optimization of Er3+ light emission from silicon-rich silicon oxide thin films

This study investigates the influence of the film thickness on the silicon-excess-mediated sensitization of Erbium ions in Si-rich silica. The Er3+ photoluminescence at 1.5 μm, normalized to the film thickness, was found five times larger for films 1 μm-thick than that from 50-nm-thick films intended for electrically driven devices. The origin of this difference is shared by changes in the local density of optical states and depth-dependent interferences, and by limited formation of Si-based sensitizers in "thin" films, probably because of the prevailing high stress. More Si excess has significantly increased the emission from "thin" films, up to ten times. This paves the way to the realization of highly efficient electrically excited devices

Electroluminescence efficiencies of erbium in silicon-based hosts

International audienceWe report on room-temperature 1.5 lm electroluminescence from trivalent erbium (Er3þ) ionsembedded in three different CMOS-compatible silicon-based hosts: SiO2, Si3N4, and SiNx. We showthat although the insertion of either nitrogen or excess silicon helps enhance electrical conductionand reduce the onset voltage for electroluminescence, it drastically decreases the external quantumefficiency of Er3þ ions from 2% in SiO2 to 0.001% and 0.0004% in SiNx and Si3N4, respectively.Furthermore, we present strong evidence that hot carrier injection is significantly more efficient thandefect-assisted conduction for the electrical excitation of Er3þ ions. These results suggest strategiesto optimize the engineering of on-chip electrically excited silicon-based nanophotonic light sources

Reconfigurable Flat Optics with Programmable Reflection Amplitude Using Lithography-Free Phase-Change Materials Ultra Thin Films

We experimentally demonstrate a very large dynamic optical reflection modulation from a simple unpatterned layered stack of phase-change materials ultrathin films. Specifically, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that properly designed deeply subwavelength GeSbTe (GST) films on a metallic mirror produce a dynamic modulation of light in the near-infrared from very strong reflection (R>80%) to perfect absorption (A > 99,97%) by simply switching the crystalline state of the phase-change material. While the amplitude of modulation can lead to an optical contrast up to 10^6, we can also actively "write" intermediate levels of reflection in between extreme values, corresponding to partial crystallization of the GST layer. We further explore several layered system designs and provide guidelines to tailor the wavelength efficiency range, the angle of operation and the degree of crystallization leading to perfect absorption

Electro-Optical Modulation Based on Pockels Effect in BaTiO3 With a Multi-Domain Structure

[EN] The influence of an in-plane multi-domain structure in BaTiO3 films grown on SrTiO3/Si buffers for highly efficient electro-optic modulation has been analyzed. The modulation performance can be significantly enhanced by rotating a certain angle, the optical waveguide, with respect to the BaTiO3 crystallographic axes. A robust electro-optical performance against variations in the domain structure as well as the lowest V-pi voltage can be achieved by using the rotation angles between 35 degrees and 55 degrees. Our calculations show that Vp voltages below 1.7 V for a modulation length of 2 mm can be obtained by means of a CMOS compatible hybrid silicon/BaTiO3 waveguide structure.This work was supported by the European Commission under Grant FP7-ICT-2013-11-619456 SITOGA. The work of P. Sanchis was supported in part by GVA under Grant PROMETEOII/2014/034 and in part by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under Grant TEC2012-38540 LEOMIS.Castera, P.; Gutiérrez Campo, AM.; Tulli, D.; Cueff, S.; Orobtchouk, R.; Rojo Romeo, P.; Saint-Girons, G.... (2016). Electro-Optical Modulation Based on Pockels Effect in BaTiO3 With a Multi-Domain Structure. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters. 28(9):990-993. https://doi.org/10.1109/LPT.2016.252250999099328