Abstract
The integration of light sources on a photonic platform is a key aspect of the fabrication of self-contained photonic circuits with a small footprint that does not have a definitive solution yet. Several approaches are being actively researched for this purpose. In this work we propose optoelectronic tweezers for the manipulation and integration of light sources on a photonic platform and report the positional and angular accuracy of the micromanipulation of standard Fabry-Pérot InP semiconductor laser die. These lasers are over three orders of magnitude bigger in volume than any previously assembled with optofluidic techniques and the fact that they are industry standard lasers makes them significantly more useful than previously assembled microdisk lasers. We measure the accuracy to be 2.5 ± 1.4 µm and 1.4 ± 0.4° and conclude that optoelectronic tweezers are a promising technique for the micromanipulation and integration of optoelectronic components in general and semiconductor lasers in particular.
Highlights
Photonic circuits need a light source to drive them, and while it is possible to use a pre-packaged external laser source in some cases, many applications such as on-chip communications require the smaller footprint of an integrated source
We have reported the accuracy of the positioning of standard Fabry-Pérot InP semiconductor laser die with optoelectronic tweezers
The results indicate that, after movement of the dielectrophoretic trap, the microlasers can be centred within the trap with a positional and angular accuracy of 2.5 ± 1.4 μm and 1.4 ± 0.4 ◦, respectively
Summary
Photonic circuits need a light source to drive them, and while it is possible to use a pre-packaged external laser source in some cases, many applications such as on-chip communications require the smaller footprint of an integrated source. The active alignment approach consists of individually picking complete, pre-fabricated light sources and placing them directly where they need to be, typically with mechanical tools This is a very flexible approach that allows the integration of different kinds of sources on the same platform, for instance lasers of different wavelengths for wavelength division multiplexing arrangements. As an alternative to mechanical pick and place tools, we propose optoelectronic tweezers as a tool for the integration of standard InP semiconductor lasers on a photonic platform. Commercial data projectors can be used to pattern the dielectrophoretic traps, which gives the technique great potential for the automation and parallelization of the micromanipulation process [9], making it more suitable for mass integration on a photonic platform.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
