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Electronic control of optical Anderson localization modes.
Shayan Mookherjea1, Jun Rong Ong1, Xianshu Luo2
1University of California, San Diego, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, La Jolla, California 92093-0407, USA.
Nature Nanotechnology
|April 1, 2014
Summary
Researchers demonstrate electronically controlled optical Anderson localization in sub-micrometre p-n diodes. This breakthrough allows for significant signal variation with low voltage and current, offering new possibilities for optical devices.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Semiconductor Devices
Background:
- Anderson localization of light is known in dielectric materials and fabricated structures.
- Existing methods for light localization are difficult to control and require extreme conditions like strong magnetic fields or nonlinear optical effects.
- Electronic control of optical Anderson localization has not been previously demonstrated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate electronic control over optical Anderson localization.
- To develop a method for controlling light localization using charge carriers in semiconductor devices.
- To explore new possibilities for optical localization in compact, electronically controlled systems.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of over 100 sub-micrometre-scale p-n diodes compatible with current electronics industry technology.
- Embedding these diodes into the cross-section of an optical waveguide.
- Injecting charge carriers into the diodes to control Anderson localization of light.
Main Results:
- Achieved control of optical Anderson localization using injected charge carriers.
- Observed large output signal variations exceeding a factor of 100 with only 1 V and 1 mA control current.
- Device footprint is 0.125 µm(2), significantly smaller than existing optical lattices.
- Electronically controlled localization offers >1 GHz bandwidth, unlike narrow-bandwidth all-electronic methods.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated the first electronic control of optical Anderson localization.
- The developed p-n diode technology offers a compact and efficient method for manipulating light localization.
- This breakthrough opens avenues for applications in random lasers, optical limiters, imagers, quantum optics, and measurement devices.
