Semiconductor device as optical demultiplexer for short range optical communications

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Materials Science
• Photonics

Background:

• Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is crucial for increasing optical communication capacity.
• Developing compact and efficient WDM devices for the visible spectrum is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel multilayered a-SiC:H heterostructure for visible light WDM applications.
• To characterize the optoelectronic properties and demonstrate the WDM functionality of the proposed device.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a stacked p-i-n photodiode heterostructure with tailored absorption regions.
• Optoelectronic characterization across the visible spectrum.
• Demonstration of WDM functionality using three distinct wavelength channels.

Main Results:

• The a-SiC:H heterostructure device exhibited successful wavelength-division demultiplexing.
• Input channels were recovered by analyzing photo-current spectral dependence on applied voltage.
• An electrical model was proposed and validated through circuit equation solutions.

Conclusions:

• The multilayered a-SiC:H heterostructure is a viable device for visible light WDM.
• The device shows potential for short-range optical communication systems.
• Further applications beyond optical communications are anticipated.