Nonlinear characterization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides and analysis of carrier dynamics

In this paper, we determine the optical nonlinear coefficient of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguides. Up to date, the data reported in the scientific literature for similar structures show a very large variability and the final assessment of their nonlinear performance is still an ope...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2013-09, Vol.103 (14)
Main Authors: Lacava, C., Minzioni, P., Baldini, E., Tartara, L., Fedeli, J. M., Cristiani, I.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:In this paper, we determine the optical nonlinear coefficient of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguides. Up to date, the data reported in the scientific literature for similar structures show a very large variability and the final assessment of their nonlinear performance is still an open issue. We performed a complete and careful characterization of more than 50 waveguides. A nonlinear coefficient of 790 + j20 W−1 m−1 was found, confirming that a-Si:H is a good candidate for nonlinear silicon photonic devices. Nevertheless, free-carrier-dynamics exhibits a recombination time in the nanosecond range, which can hinder their exploitation in ultrafast applications requiring high-power optical beams.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.4823579