Slot-Waveguide Silicon Nitride Organic Hybrid Distributed Feedback Laser

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits face commercialization barriers due to the absence of low-cost, integrated laser sources.
• Existing solutions often lack monolithic integration or cost-effectiveness for widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel optically pumped organic solid-state laser for silicon nitride organic hybrid photonic platforms.
• To overcome the limitations of current laser integration methods for cost-sensitive photonic applications.

Main Methods:

• Designed and fabricated an organic solid-state slot-waveguide distributed feedback laser.
• Utilized pulsed optical excitation with a 450 nm laser diode.
• Incorporated a second-order laterally coupled Bragg grating within a slot-waveguide core for optical feedback.

Main Results:

• Achieved single-mode lasing at a wavelength of 600 nm.
• Optimized organic dye gain properties and slot-waveguide geometry for enhanced modal gain.
• Demonstrated successful integration and operation with a blue laser diode.

Conclusions:

• The developed laser offers a cost-effective coherent light source for photonic integrated devices.
• This work addresses a key challenge in the commercialization of silicon nitride photonics.
• The hybrid platform enables efficient light generation and guidance in a compact form factor.