Novel folding 8x8 silicon-based optical matrix switch with tapered waveguides and self-aligned corner mirrors

Novel folding 8 x 8 matrix switches based on silicon on insulator were demonstrated. In the design, single-mode rib waveguides and multimode interferences are connected by optimized tapered waveguides to reduce the mode coupling loss between the two types of waveguides. The self-aligned method was applied to the key integrated turning mirrors for perfect positions and low loss of them. A mixed etching process including inductively coupled plasma and chemical etching was employed to etch waveguides and mirrors, respectively. The compact size of the device is only 20 x 3.2 mm(2). The switch element with high switching speed and low power consumption is presented in the matrix. The average insertion loss of the matrix is about -21 dB, and the excess loss of one mirror is measured of -1.4 dB. The worst crosstalk is larger than 21 dB. Experimental results illuminate that some of the main characteristics of optical matrix switches are. developed in the modified design, which is in accord with theoretic analyses.

SOI-based 16x16 thermo-optic waveguide switch matrix

A 16 x 16 thermo-optic wavelenght switch matrix has been designed and febricated on silicon-on-insulator wafer. For reducing device lenght, blocking switch matrix configuration is chosen. The building block of a matix is a 2 x 2 cell with Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, where a multi-mode interferometer serves as splitters/combiners. Spot size converters and isolating grooves are integrated on the same chip to reduce loss and power consumption. Average power consumption of the switch cell is 220 mW. The switching time of a switch cell is less than 3 mu s.

Optical characteristics of InAs quantum dots on GaAs matrix by using various InGaAs structures

The effects of various InGaAs layers on the structural and optical properties of InAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy ( MBE) were investigated. The emission wavelength of 1317 nm was obtained by embedding InAs QDs in InGAs/GgAs quantum well. The temperature-dependent and timed-resolved photoluminescence (TDPL and TRPL) were used to study the dynamic characteristics of carriers. InGaAs cap layer may improve the quality of quantum dots for the strain relaxation around QDs, which results in a stronger PL intensity and an increase of PL peak lifetime up to 170 K. We found that InGaAs buffer layer may reduce the PL peak lifetime of InAs QDs, which is due to the buffer layer accelerating the carrier migration. The results also show that InGaAs cap layer can increase the temperature point when, the thermal reemission and nonradiative recombination contribute significantly to the carrier dynamics.

Investigation of mode characteristics for microdisk resonators by S-matrix and three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain technique

The mode characteristics of a three-dimensional (3D) microdisk with a vertical refractive index distribution of n(2)/3.4/n(2) are investigated by the S-matrix method and 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. For the microdisk with a thickness of 0.2 mu m. and a radius of 1 mu m, the mode wavelengths and quality factors for the HE7,1 mode obtained by 3D FDTD simulation and the S-matrix method are in good agreement as n(2) increases from 1.0 to 2.6. But the Q factor obtained by the 3D FDTD rapidly decreases from 1.12 X 10(4) to 379 as n2 increases from 2.65 to 2.8 owing to the vertical radiation losses, which cannot be predicted by the proposed S-matrix method. The comparisons also show that quality factors obtained from the analytical solution of two-dimensional microdisks under the effective index approximation are five to seven times smaller than those of the 3D FDTD as n(2) = 1 and R = 1 mu m. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

Correlation effects for semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes: A density matrix renormalization group study

In this paper we report the applicability of the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) approach to the cylindrical single wall carbon nanotube (SWCN) for the purpose of its correlation effect. By applying the DMRG approach to the t+U+V model, with t and V being the hopping and Coulomb energies between the nearest neighboring sites, respectively, and U the on-site Coulomb energy, we calculate the phase diagram for the SWCN with chiral numbers (n(1)=3, n(2)=2), which reflects the competition between the correlation energy U and V. Within reasonable parameter ranges, we investigate possible correlated ground states, the lowest excitations, and the corresponding correlation functions in which the connection with the excitonic insulator is particularly addressed.

Size evolution and optical properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots on different matrix

InAs quantum dots have been grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy on different matrix to investigate the effect on the structure and optical properties. High density of 1.02 x 10(11) cm(-2) of InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As and In0.15Al0.85As underlying layer has been achieved. Atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence spectra show the size evolution of InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As underlying layer. A strong 1.3 mum photoluminescence from InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As underlying layer and with InGaAs strain-reduced layer has been obtained. Single-mirror light emitting diode structures with InAs quantum dots capped by InGaAs grown on InGaAs layer as active layer were fabricated and the corresponding radiative efficiency was deduced to be as high as 20.5%. Our results provide important information for optimizing the epitaxial structures of 1.3 mum wavelength quantum dots devices. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Getting high-efficiency photoluminescence from Si nanocrystals in SiO2 matrix

Silicon nanocrystals in SiO2 matrix are fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by thermal annealing. The structure and photoluminescence (PL) of the resulting films is investigated as a function of deposition temperature. Drastic improvement of PL efficiency up to 12% is achieved when the deposition temperature is reduced from 250 degreesC to room temperature. Low-temperature deposition is found to result in a high quality final structure of the films in which the silicon nanocrystals are nearly strain-free, and the Si/SiO2 interface sharp. The demonstration of the superior structural and optical properties of the films represents an important step towards the development of silicon-based light emitters. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Scattering matrix approach to electronic dephasing in long-range electron transfer

Based on the Buttiker dephasing model, we propose an analytical scattering matrix approach to the long-range electron transfer phenomena. The present efficient scheme smoothly interpolates between the superexchange and the sequential hopping mechanisms. Various properties such as the drastic dephasing-assisted enhancement and turnover behaviors are demonstrated in good agreement with those obtained via the dynamical reduced density-matrix methods. These properties are further elucidated as results of the interplay among the dephasing strength, the tunneling parameter, and the bridge length of the electron transfer system. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Fine structure of the plasmon resonance absorption peak of Ag nanoparticles embedded in partially oxidized Si matrix

Ag/Si nanocomposite films were prepared by the radio-frequency magnetron cosputtering method. The fine structure of the plasmon resonance absorption peak was found in film samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the samples were composed of a two-layer structure, which accounted for the structure of the optical absorption spectra. The peak located near 445 nm is the plasmon resonance absorption peak of Ag nanoparticles embedded in a partially oxidized Si matrix. Its intensity decreases with decreasing film thickness and disappears in a very thin sample. The peak located near 380 nm originates from the plasmon resonance absorption of the thoroughly oxidized surface layer of the sample. Its intensity does not change with increasing thickness, but it cannot be observed in the very thick sample. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Absorption spectra of nanocrystalline silicon embedded in SiO2 matrix

Nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) embedded SiO2 matrix has been formed by annealing the SiOx films fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique. Absorption coefficient and photoluminescence of the films have been measured at room temperature. The experimental results show that there is an "aUrbach-like" b exponential absorption in the spectral range of 2.0-3.0 eV. The relationship of (alpha hv)(1/2) proportional to(hv - E-g) demonstrates that the luminescent nc-Si have an indirect band structure. The existence of Stokes shift between photoluminescence and absorption edge indicates that radiative combination can take place not only between electron states and hole states but also between shallow trap states of electrons and holes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Pressure behaviour of photoluminescence from InAs submonolayer in GaAs matrix

We have investigated the dependence on hydrostatic pressure of the photoluminescence of an InAs submonolayer embedded in a GaAs matrix at 15 K and for pressure up to 8 GPa. Strong InAs-related emissions are observed in all three samples at ambient pressure. The temperature dependence of the emission intensity for these Peaks can be well characterized by the thermal activation of excitons from the InAs layer to the GaAs matrix. With increasing pressure, the InAs-related peaks shift to. higher energies. The pressure coefficients of these peaks are very close to that of the free exciton in bulk GaAs. Some weak peaks observed at pressures above 4.2 GPa are attributed to indirect transitions involving X states in the InAs layer. These results are similar to the pressure behaviour observed in the InAs/GaAs monolayer structures. A group of new lines has been observed in the spectra when pressure is increased beyond 2.5 GPa, which is attributed to the N isoelectronic traps in the GaAs matrix.

InAs quantum dots in InAlAs matrix on (001)InP substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy

InAs quantum dots grown on InAlAs lattice-matched to (0 0 1) InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy are investigated by double-crystal X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy. The growth process is found to follow the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode. The islands formation is confirmed by the TEM measurements. Strong radiative recombination from the quantum dots and the wetting layer is observed, with room temperature PL emission in the 1.2-1.7 mu m region, demonstrating the potential of the InAs/InAlAs QDs for optoelectronic device applications. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Ordered InAs quantum dots in InAlAs matrix on (001) InP substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy

InAs self-organized quantum dots in InAlAs matrix lattice-matched to exactly oriented (001) InP substrates were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using the Stranski-Krastanow mode. Preliminary characterizations have been performed using photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy. The geometrical arrangement of the quantum dots is found to be strongly dependent on the amount of coverage. At low deposition thickness. InAs QDs are arranged in chains along [1(1) over bar0$] directions. Luminescence from the quantum dots and the wetting layer consisting of quantum wells with well widths of 1, 2, and 3 monolayers is observed. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.

The enhancement of diffusion by strain of InAs quantum dots in a GaAs matrix

We investigate the annealing behavior of Photoluminescence (PL) from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) with different thicknesses GaAs cap layers. The diffusion introduced by annealing treatment results in a blue-shift of the QD PL peak, and a decrease in the integrated intensity. The strain present in QDs enhances the diffusion, and the QDs with the cap layers of different thicknesses will experience a strain of different strength. This can lend to a, better understanding of the larger blue-shift of the PL peak of the deeper buried QDs, and the different variance of the full width at half maximum of the luminescence from QDs with the cap layers of different thicknesses.

Optical anisotropy of InAs submonolayer quantum wells in a (311) GaAs matrix

The steplike density of states obtained from reflectance-difference spectroscopy demonstrates that ultrathin InAs layers should be regarded as two-dimensional quantum wells rather than isolated clusters, even for the sample with only 1/3 monolayer InAs in (311)-oriented GaAs. The degree of anisotropy is within the intrinsic anisotropy of (311)-oriented ultrathin quantum wells, indicating that there is little structural or strain anisotropy in the InAs islands. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.