Publications

We review recent advances in the development of slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) devices, progress toward a flexible photonic integration platform containing both conventional high-confinement and SCOW ultra-low confinement devices, and applications of this technology.

We review the development of a new class of high-power, edge-emitting, semiconductor optical gain medium based on the slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) concept. We restrict the scope to InP-based devices incorporating either InGaAsP or InGaAlAs quantum-well active regions and operating in the 1.5-μm-wavelength region. Key properties of the SCOW gain...

Uni-traveling-carrier waveguide photodiodes (PDs) with a variable optical confinement mode size transformer are demonstrated. The optical mode is large at the input for minimal front-end saturation and the mode transforms as the light propagates so that the absorption profile is optimized for both high-power and high-speed performance. Two differently designed...

In this paper we study the uniformity of up to 150 mm in diameter wafer-scale III-V epitaxial transfer to the Si-on-insulator substrate through the O2 plasma-enhanced low-temperature (300°C) direct wafer bonding. Void-free bonding is demonstrated by the scanning acoustic microscopy with sub-um resolution. The photoluminescence (PL) map shows less than...

The semiconductor slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) concept is a versatile device platform that has enabled new classes of high-power, low-noise single-frequency lasers, mode-locked lasers, optical amplifiers, and photodiodes for analog optical links and photonic analog-to-digital converters.

We demonstrate the transfer of the largest (150 mm in diameter) available InP-based epitaxial structure to the silicon-on-insulator substrate through a direct wafer-bonding process. Over 95% bonding yield and a void-free bonding interface was obtained. A multiple quantum-well diode laser structure is well-preserved after bonding, as indicated by the high-resolution...

We report the first high-current photodiode based on the slab-coupled optical waveguide concept. The device has a large mode (5.8 x 7.6 um) and ultra-low optical confinement ([] ~ 0.05%), allowing a 2-mm absorption length. The maximum photocurrent obtained was 250 mA (R = 0.8-A/W) at 1.55 um.

We consider the phenomenon of afterpulsing in avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating in gated and free-running Geiger mode. An operational model of afterpulsing and other noise characteristics of APDs predicts the noise behavior observed in the free-running mode. We also use gated-mode data to investigate possible sources of afterpulsing in these...

Advanced analog-optical sensor, signal processing and communication systems could benefit significantly from wideband (DC to > 50 GHz) optical modulators having both low half-wave voltage (V[pi]) and low optical insertion loss. An important figure-of-merit for modulators used in analog applications is TMAX/V[pi], where TMAX is the optical transmission of the...

High-power diode lasers consisting of a ridge-waveguide section coupled to a tapered region have been fabricated in 1.5um InGaAsP-InP multiple-quantum-well material. Self-focusing at high current densities and high-intensity input into the taper section has been identified as a fundamental problem in these devices that has to be dealt with. To...