Pixels and resonators with blazed Littrow structures: Passive and non-Hermitian approaches

Abstract

The confinement of light by Littrow blazed grating structures is explored for targeted device operation principles. For passive devices, these grating structures are explored in one and two-dimensional versions to study resonant pixel with sizes of about ten grating periods (for 4.5 μm-side), which retain a CMOS compatible design. The resonances are found to substantially enhance the weak silicon absorption at 940 nm, a wavelength of interest for, e.g., distance ranging and face recognition, and to achieve a 7.5° angular tolerance. The addition of gain and loss in generic Littrow structures that display an original dispersion made of crossing manifold is next considered, with a view to the issue of broad-area laser modal control.