Fabry-Pérot resonant avalanche-mode silicon LEDs for tunable narrow-band emission

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Materials Science
• Photonics

Background:

• Silicon avalanche-mode LEDs (AMLEDs) are crucial for integrated photonics.
• Tuning the electroluminescence (EL) spectra and enhancing optical power efficiency of Si AMLEDs remain significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Fabry-Pérot (FP) resonance on the EL spectra and optical power efficiency of silicon (Si) AMLEDs.
• To demonstrate spectral tunability and achieve high optical power efficiency in Si AMLEDs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Si AMLEDs using silicon-on-insulator photonics technology with symmetric p-n junctions within micro-rings.
• Systematic variation of micro-ring width (0.16 µm to 0.30 µm) and radius.
• Characterization of EL spectra and optical power efficiency in the 500 nm to 950 nm wavelength range.

Main Results:

• Fabry-Pérot resonance was shown to tune the peak EL wavelength by up to 100 nm through micro-ring width modulation.
• Achieved spectrally narrow EL bands (∼50 nm width) with high intensities.
• A record optical power efficiency of 3.2×10^-5 was obtained by optimizing ring radius and doping levels.

Conclusions:

• Fabry-Pérot resonance offers an effective method for engineering the electroluminescence spectrum of silicon.
• The demonstrated spectral tunability and record efficiency represent a significant advancement for silicon-based optoelectronics.
• This work paves the way for improved performance in silicon-integrated optical interconnects and sensors.