High-speed and on-chip graphene blackbody emitters for optical communications by remote heat transfer

Yusuke Miyoshi,Yuya Amasaka,Kazuki Ishida,Tomoya Yokoi,Yusuke Fukazawa,Hideyuki Maki,Kenji Kawahara,Robin Reckmann,Hiroki Ago

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03695-x

Abstract

High-speed light emitters integrated on silicon chips can enable novel architectures for silicon-based optoelectronics, such as on-chip optical interconnects, and silicon photonics. However, conventional light sources based on compound semiconductors face major challenges for their integration with a silicon-based platform because of their difficulty of direct growth on a silicon substrate. Here we report ultra-high-speed (100-ps response time), highly integrated graphene-based on-silicon-chip blackbody emitters in the near-infrared region including telecommunication wavelength. Their emission responses are strongly affected by the graphene contact with the substrate depending on the number of graphene layers. The ultra-high-speed emission can be understood by remote quantum thermal transport via surface polar phonons of the substrates. We demonstrated real-time optical communications, integrated two-dimensional array emitters, capped emitters operable in air, and the direct coupling of optical fibers to the emitters. These emitters can open new routes to on-Si-chip, small footprint, and high-speed emitters for highly integrated optoelectronics and silicon photonics.

Highlights

High-speed light emitters integrated on silicon chips can enable novel architectures for silicon-based optoelectronics, such as on-chip optical interconnects, and silicon photonics
A fast response time of ~100 ps, corresponding to ~10 GHz modulation, has been experimentally demonstrated for single and fewlayer graphene, and the emission response properties are strongly affected by the degree of graphene contact with the substrate, which depends on the number of graphene layers
We experimentally demonstrate optical communications at 1 and 50 Mbps based on eye-pattern analysis and realtime waveform detection by using multi- and few-layer graphene, respectively, integrated two-dimensional array emitters with a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene, capped emitters operable in air, and the direct coupling of optical fibers to the emitters

Summary

Introduction

High-speed light emitters integrated on silicon chips can enable novel architectures for silicon-based optoelectronics, such as on-chip optical interconnects, and silicon photonics. We report ultra-high-speed (100-ps response time), highly integrated graphene-based on-silicon-chip blackbody emitters in the near-infrared region including telecommunication wavelength. Their emission responses are strongly affected by the graphene contact with the substrate depending on the number of graphene layers. We demonstrated real-time optical communications, integrated two-dimensional array emitters, capped emitters operable in air, and the direct coupling of optical fibers to the emitters. These emitters can open new routes to on-Si-chip, small footprint, and high-speed emitters for highly integrated optoelectronics and silicon photonics. We experimentally demonstrate optical communications at 1 and 50 Mbps based on eye-pattern analysis and realtime waveform detection by using multi- and few-layer graphene, respectively, integrated two-dimensional array emitters with a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene, capped emitters operable in air, and the direct coupling of optical fibers to the emitters

Methods

Results

Conclusion