Compact Nonlinear Optical Devices in Silicon-Polymer Hybrid Material System
<p>Recently, integrated silicon photonics has become a topic of rising interests, due to its great potential to induce significant improvements in modern communication and computation systems. While optics is often viewed as a favorable solution to many issues faced by the rapidly evolving mi...
| Summary: | <p>Recently, integrated silicon photonics has become a topic of rising interests, due to its great potential to induce significant improvements in modern communication and computation systems. While optics is often viewed as a favorable solution to many issues faced by the rapidly evolving microelectronic technology, the high cost, large physical size, and discrete configuration of conventional optics have largely restricted its applications. The introduction of silicon nanophotonics permits a new look at the idea of incorporating optics with traditional electronic integrated circuits in a sensible and feasible fashion.</p>
<p>In this dissertation, emphasis is placed on investigating nonlinear devices built in silicon but complemented by nonlinear polymer materials. Basic optical guiding and coupling components for silicon on insulator platform are first discussed, followed by a detailed description of the design, fabrication, and testing procedures of a Pockels effect electro-optic modulator based on nonlinear polymer-coated silicon nanostructures. Discussion is further expanded on other related devices that also make use of the second-order nonlinear effect, and designs to improve the speed and efficiency of existing devices are also elaborated. Finally, a third-order nonlinear all-optical modulation device is presented with a series of carefully designed experiments to verify its ultrafast operation.</p>
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