Multilayer integration of nonlinear silicon-based photonics (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

The broad functionality of the silicon-based photonic platform has led to a number of exciting demonstrations in both linear and nonlinear integrated photonics. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films exhibiting nonlinear refractive indices an order of magnitude larger than c-Si can be deposited at a low temperature (typically 200 - 400 °C) and patterned by the same technology as c-Si, making them compatible with back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) CMOS technology. SiNx waveguides can be fabricated with extremely low losses providing long on-chip interconnects with high optical efficiency. Such specialty waveguiding layers can be combined into a multilayer silicon-based photonic platform for sophisticated, multi-material and multi-functional platforms. Here we will discuss our recent work in the a-Si:H waveguide platform demonstrating highly nonlinear interactions with mW-level peak pump powers, as well as the ability to integrate this waveguide platform in a multi-layer configuration with low-loss SiNx waveguides. We show four-wave mixing (FWM) frequency conversion in an a-Si:H waveguide addressed with a SiNx waveguide through interlayer coupling devices. Additionally, we will discuss a variety of demonstrations in silicon-based waveguides that exploit nonlinear optical interactions including frequency conversion and signal depletion. We will show the multilayer integration of these devices with their counterparts made from low-loss SiNx waveguides, etc. Furthermore, we will discuss these devices for a variety of applications including optical signal processing, logic, and security.