Telecommunication-wavelength lasing in a CMOS-compatible tilted-wave design.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Materials Science
• Integrated Optics
• Semiconductor Lasers

Background:

• Erbium-doped materials are crucial for 1.5 μm telecommunication wavelengths.
• Silicon photonic integrated circuits (Si PICs) require efficient on-chip light sources.
• Tilted-wave lasers (TWLs) offer CMOS compatibility for Si PICs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate telecommunication-wavelength lasing of erbium ions (Er3+) in tilted-wave (TW) modes.
• To develop a CMOS-compatible on-chip light source for Si PICs.
• To investigate the performance and characteristics of Er3+-doped TWLs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a waveguide-coupled tilted-wave laser (TWL) using Er3+-doped Si-rich oxide.
• Optical pumping to achieve lasing at the 1.5 μm telecommunication wavelength.
• Characterization of photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), optical net gain, threshold power, and lasing properties.

Main Results:

• Achieved telecommunication-wavelength lasing of Er3+ in TW modes with a PLQY of 20.6% and optical net gain of 24.3 dB·cm⁻¹.
• Demonstrated a low threshold optical pumping power of ~40 mW.
• Observed edge-emitting photoluminescence consistent with TW mode simulations and remarkable light amplification.

Conclusions:

• The Er3+-doped TWL in Si-rich oxide presents a viable on-chip light source for Si PICs.
• The study provides an optimization pathway for CMOS-compatible telecommunication wavelength light sources.
• This work advances the integration of light sources into silicon photonics.