Photonic crystals (PC) offer novel approaches for integrated photonics by allowing the manipulation of light based on the photonic bandgap effect rather than internal-reflection mechanisms employed in traditional devices. Electro-optic polymers represent interesting possibilities for the development of devices leveraging control over the phase of a confined propagating wave. We here report on the development of such active photonic crystal technology in ionically self-assembled monolayers. The simulation of active photonic devices such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers and wavelength multiplexers is first presented. We then report on the synthesis and optical characterization of electro-optic films grown through the ISAM technique. We conclude by presenting the preliminary development of a nanofabrication platform that would enable the realization of active photonic devices in such materials.

Films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We investigated or measured crystallinity, morphology, film-substrate interface, cracks, roughness, composition, magnetic coercivity, refractive index and extinction coefficient, and magneto-optical Faraday rotation (FR) and ellipticity. The investigations were partly performed on selected samples, and partly on two series of films on different substrates and of different thicknesses. BIG films were successfully tested for the application of magneto-optical visualization. The effect of annealing in oxygen atmosphere was also investigated - very careful annealing can increase FR by up to 20%.

Periodical BIG-YIG multilayers with up to 25 single layers were designed and prepared with the purpose to enhance FR at a selected wavelength. A central BIG layer was introduced as defect layer into this one-dimensional magneto-optical photonic crystal (MOPC) and generated resonances in optical transmittance and FR at a chosen design wavelength. In a 17-layer structure, at the wavelength of 748 nm, FR was increased from–2.6 deg/μm to –6.3 deg/μm at a small reduction in transmittance from 69% to 58% as compared to a single-layer BIG film of equivalent thickness. In contrast to thick BIG films, the MOPCs did not crack. We were first to report preparation of all-garnet MOPCs and second to experimentally demonstrate the MOPC principle in magneto-optical garnets.

The Sr2Si1−xGexO4 : Eu2+ phosphors are formed by means of a new synthesis method. The Sr2Si1−xGexO4 : Eu2+ have the mean particle size of 200 nm and the spherical shape. The Sr2Si1−xGexO4 : Eu2+ show two emission colors : the blue color of 480 nm and the green color of 525 nm. The intensity of green band with respect to blue band is significantly decreased in comparison with that of solid-reacted bulk sample, described by the hindrance of the energy transfer between the blue and green band by numerous nanoparticle boundaries. As the increase of Ge4+ ions, the 480 nm emission intensity of the Sr2Si1−xGexO4 : Eu2+ are more dominant. This behavior can be understood in terms of the effect of Ge4+ ions on the energy transfer from 480 nm band to 525 nm band. The fabricated white-light emitting diode using ultraviolet InGaN chip with the blue and green emitting Sr2Si1−xGexO4 : Eu2+ phosphor shows warm white light of 4300 K and higher color stability against input power in comparison with a commercial blue GaN-pumped YAG:Ce3+.

Bonding process using indium-silver alloy which can withstand high temperature was investigated at relatively low temperature. We used a thermal evaporator and vacuum coater for making indium-silver contact. From the result of experiment, we observed that indium and silver films which have good quality are formed. From phase diagram of In-Ag alloy, we can find that melting point of these compounds increases with the silver content, i.e. eutectic (144° C) <AgIn2 (166° C) < (300° C) < (670° C) < (695° C). And these compounds are determined by the composition ratio of the source metal. Now we confirmed the thermal characteristics of Indium-Silver alloy is controlled by silver. Consequently we have developed Ag/In/Ag multi-layer composite which has higher melting point than that of normal contact. The melting point of Ag/In/Ag multi-layer is about 700° C. The joint cross-sections are studied using SEM(scanning electron microscopy) and EDX(Energy Dispersive X-rays). From these data, we observed that the composition and microstructure of Ag/In/Ag multi-layer were reliable and this bonding procedure is a better technique compared to the conventional structure of quantum well LED and GaN/Si LED structure was made by using sapphire for substrate and might be good for high temperature electronic devices in the future.

Silicon nanocrystals were in situ grown in a silicon nitride film by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The size and structure of silicon nanocrystals were confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Depending on the size, the photoluminescence of silicon nanocrystals can be tuned from the near infrared (1.38 eV) to the ultraviolet (3.02 eV). The fitted photoluminescence peak energy as E(eV) = 1.16 + 11.8/d2 is an evidence for the quantum confinement effect in silicon nanocrystals. The results demonstrate that the band gap of silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon nitride matrix was more effectively controlled for a wide range of luminescent wavelengths.

In this work, magneto-optical garnets were grown monolithically by low-temperature reactive RF sputtering, followed by an ultra-short (< 15sec) anneal. It was found that in addition to low thermal budgets due to timing, the temperature required (< 750°C) for garnet crystallization was also reduced compared to standard tube furnace annealing (> 1000°C). MgO and fused quartz were used as substrates because they will be useful for future buffer layers and optical claddings. Y-Fe-O films were made with systematically varied compositions and the chemical, structural, and optical properties of the resulting films were analyzed. A solid solution single phase field for YIG was found that spanned a wide range of compositions (30.1 ∼ 49.0 atomic % of Fe). The resulting YIG quality was measured by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and measurements of Faraday rotation (FR). Although the XRD results showed that the films had isotropic crystallinity, the VSM indicated that shape anisotropy dominated the magnetic properties. Out of plane FR measurements yielded up to 0.2°/μm at 632nm rotations. This rotation will be higher in plane. All of these tests demonstrated that the YIG was comparable to YIG grown by standard annealing and also by in-situ crystallization.

We study the optical and structural properties of rib-loaded waveguides working in the 600-900 nm spectral range. A Si nanocrystal-rich SiOx with Si excess nominally ranging from 10 to 20% forms the active region of the waveguide. Starting materials were fused silica wafers and 2 μm-thick SiO2 thermally grown onto Si substrate. Si nanocrystals were precipitated by annealing at 1100°C after quadruple Si ion implantation to high doses in a flat profile. The complete phase separation and formation of Si nanocrystals were monitored by means of optical tools, such as Raman, optical absorption and photoluminescence. Grain size distribution was obtained by electron microscopy. The actual Si excess content was obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The rib-loaded structure of the waveguide was fabricated by photolitographic and reactive ion etching processes, with patterned rib widths ranging from 1 to 8 μm. M-lines spectroscopy measurements provided a direct measurement of the refractive index and thickness of the active layers versus Si excess. When coupling a probe signal at 780 nm or 633 nm into the waveguide, an attenuation of at least 11 dB/cm was observed. These propagation losses have been attributed to Mie scattering, waveguide irregularities and direct absorption by the silicon nanocrystals.

A new 3-dimensional zinc carbonate Zn(NH3)CO3 has been synthesized from a glycol system with urea and zinc acetate as raw materials. The crystal structure and photoluminescent properties have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, smart CCD and FL. The compound had an orthorhombic system with space group of Pna21 with M = 142.41, a = 9.1449(18) Å, b = 7.5963(15) Å, c = 5.4982(11) Å, V = 381.95(13) Å3, Z = 4, R = 0.0285 and RW = 0.0745. The NH3 and CO32- were connected through the Zn-N bond and Zn-O bond in the symmetric unit. Photoluminescent property was observed in the compound at room temperature and the exited and emission peaks were located at about 350 nm and 426 nm, respectively.

Sol gels provide a highly flexible technique for preparation of both planar and non-planar oxide thin films. They also enable the incorporation of various dopants into the films. In this work we describe the application of erbium-doped solgel films to surface functionalize optical microresonators. The resulting microlaser devices are especially interesting because their emission band falls in the important 1.5 μm window used for optical fiber communications. Both microsphere and ultra-high-Q microtoroid resonators-on-a-chip were functionalized into lasers and then characterized [1]. The erbium-doped sol-gel films were applied to the resonator surface and subsequently a CO2 laser was used to induce flow and densification of the sol-gel film on the surface. Optical quality thin films were obtained after the CO2 laser induced anneal. By varying the doping concentration and thickness of the applied sol-gel layers in microsphere resonators, we can vary the laser dynamics so that both continuous-wave and pulsation operation are possible. Single mode performance with high differential quantum efficiency was also obtained using the ultra-high-Q microtoroid resonator. These chip-based microlasers enable integration with other optical or electronic functions [2-3].

Er-based optical amplification continues to be the ideal low noise, WDM crosstalk free, broadband candidate for waveguide amplifiers. Design analysis of the applicability of Er-Doped Waveguide Amplifiers (EDWAs) for micron-scale integrated photonics in a planar lightwave circuit concludes: (i) an >80× increase in gain efficiency, and (ii) a >40×increase in device shrink can be realized, for a high index contrast EDWA (with a core-cladding index difference of δn=0.1↔0.7), compared to a conventional Er-doped fiber amplifier. The materials challenge now is to establish a robust materials system which meets this high index difference design requirement while simultaneously leveraging the capability of silicon (Si) processing: a host platform for EDWAs must be found which can integrate with Si Microphotonics. Silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon oxide (SiO2) and a miscible silicon oxynitride alloy (SiON) of the two meet this materials challenge. We present the results of reactive and conventional magnetron sputtering based materials characterization for this high index host system. Room temperature and 4 K photo-luminescence studies for annealed samples show the reduction of non-radiative de-excitation centers while maintaining an amorphous host structure. Atomic force microscopy shows less than 1 nm peak-to-peak roughness in deposited films. Prism coupler measurements show a reliable reproducibility of host index of refraction with waveguide scattering loss <2 dB/cm. We conclude that the SiON host system forms an optimal waveguide core for an SiO2-clad EDWA. Initial gain measurements show a gain coefficient of approximately 3.9 dB/cm.

Laser structures with InGaAsP quantum well were grown on GaAs substrates in a solid source MBE system. Threshold current density Jth as low as 290A/cm2 and slope efficiency as high as 0.68W/A per facet were obtained for uncoated laser chips at 25°C. After 857 hours burn-in at 47A (corresponding to around 47W) at room temperature, power degradation rate was measured to be less than 3×10−6/h.

Having shown elsewhere [1] that the Klein paradox for the Klein-Gordon (KG) equation of spin-zero particle manifests exactly the same kind of wave propagation and negative refraction phenomena, which also exist in the scattering of TM (transverse-magnetic) –polarized electromagnetic (EM) wave incident on a left handed medium (LHM), we show in this paper that it is possible to simulate the Klein paradox, using this peculiar feature of LHMs. Real time control and processing of certain quantum systems, involving controlled pair production rate and distribution, among others, could be achieved by this optoelectronic simulator using appropriate transformations and approximations.

Strontium-titanate-oxide (STO) thin films have been deposited on silicon substrates by means of a reactive pulsed-laser-deposition technique. The influence of the oxygen deposition pressure on the microstructural properties of the films has been investigated by means of various characterization techniques. It was found that the crystalline quality of the film significantly deteriorates as the oxygen pressure increases. This is accompanied by an increase of the film microporosity. The microstructure of the film is found to directly impact the optical quality of the films. In particular, due to the higher density and crystallinity of the films deposited at lower oxygen pressure, films characterized by lower optical losses can be achieved in such conditions. These films have been used in the context of the development of optical waveguides. For this purpose, patterning of the STO films was investigated using sputter-etching with a high-density argon plasma operated in the very low pressure regime. Highly anisotropic features have been produced with high etch rate and good selectivity over resist. Preliminary results indicate the STO films can be successfully incorporated in functional waveguides.

Tungsten-tellurite glass thin films were fabricated by radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering method at various processing parameters such as substrate temperatures, Ar/O2 processing gas flow ratio, processing pressure, and rf power from a 70TeO2-30WO3 target fabricated by solid–state sintering method. The effects of processing parameters on the growth rate, the surface morphologies, the crystallinity, and refractive indices of thin films were investigated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, and UV spectrometer. Amorphous glass thin films with a surface roughness of 4∼6 nm were obtained only at room temperature and crystalline phase were observed in all as-deposited thin films prepared at above the room temperature. The deposition rate strongly depends on the processing parameters. It increases as the rf power increases and the processing pressure decreases. Especially, it changes remarkably as varying the Ar/O2 gas flow ratio from 40sccm/0sccm to 0sccm/40sccm. When the films were formed in pure Ar atmosphere it shows a deposition rate of ∼0.2 μm /h, whereas ∼1.5 μm/h when the films was formed in pure O2 atmosphere.

High quality optical waveguides have been fabricated from fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone) materials using a standard photolithographic process. Fabrication of waveguide devices on a polymer substrate is described, including a method of end-facet preparation using excimer laser micromachining. Material issues affecting waveguide birefringence and device performance are discussed.

In the present paper, we will review our work on rare-earth doped Si nanoclusters. The samples have been obtained by implanting the rare-earth (e.g. Er) in a film containing preformed Si nanocrystals. After the implant, samples have been treated at 900°C for 1h. This annealing temperature is not enough to re-crystallize all of the amorphized Si clusters. However, even if the Si nanoclusters are in the amorphous phase, they can still efficiently transfer the energy to nearby rare-earth ions. We developed a model for the Si nanoclusters-Er system, based on an energy level scheme taking into account the coupling between each Si nanocluster and the neighboring Er ions. By fitting the data, we were able to determine a value of 3×10−15 cm3 s−1 for the Si nanocluster-Er coupling coefficient. Moreover, a strong cooperative up-conversion mechanism between two excited Er ions and characterized by a coefficient of 7×10−17 cm3 s−1, is shown to be active in the system, demonstrating that more than one Er ion can be excited by the same nanocluster. We show that the overall light emission yield of the Er related luminescence can be enhanced by using higher concentrations of very small nanoaggregates. Eventually, electroluminescent devices based on rare-earth doped Si nanoclusters will be demonstrated.

This paper focuses on the preparation and characterization of crystalline thin films of rare-earth-doped sesquioxides (Y2O3 and Lu2O3) grown by pulsed laser deposition on single-crystal (0001) sapphire substrates. The crystal structure of the films (thicknesses between 1 nm and 500 nm) was determined by X-ray diffraction and surface X-ray diffraction analysis. These measurements show that the films were highly textured along the <111> direction. Using Rutherford backscattering analysis the correct stoichiometric composition of the films could be proved. The surface morphology of the thin films has been studied using atomic force microscopy. Crystalline films show a triangular surface morphology, which is attributed to the <111> growth direction. The emission and excitation spectra of the Eu-doped films down to a thickness of 100 nm look similar to those of the corresponding crystalline bulk material, whereas films with a thickness ≤ 20 nm show a completely different emission behaviour.

Aperiodic one dimensional Si/SiO2 Thue-Morse (T-M) multilayer structures have been fabricated, for the first time, in order to investigate both the band-gap behavior, with respect to the system size (band-gap scaling), and the omnidirectional reflectance of the fundamental optical band-gap. Variable angle reflectance data have experimentally demonstrated a large reflectance band-gap in the optical spectrum of a T-M quasicrystal, in agreement with transfer matrix simulations. We have explained the physical origin of the T-M omnidirectional band-gap as a result of periodic spatial correlations in the self-similar T-M structure, as revealed by Fourier Transform and Wavelet analysis. The unprecedented degree of structural flexibility showed by T-M systems can provide an attractive alternative to photonic crystals for the fabrication of photonic devices.

In the past decade, the quaternary GaInNAs alloy has emerged as a very promising material for lasers in the 1.2-1.6 μm range with application in telecommunication fiber-optic networks. While most of the challenges in growing high quality laser material with emission wavelength out to 1.3 μm have been successfully resolved, extending the emission beyond 1.3 μm has proven to be quite difficult. Achieving emission out to 1.5 μm requires higher In (up to 40%) and N (up to 2%) compositions. This makes the growth of this thermodynamically unstable alloy quite difficult with phase segregation occurring even at lower growth temperatures. Recently, adding small amounts of antimony has dramatically improved the quality of the material and high luminescence has been demonstrated at wavelengths beyond 1.5 μm. In this study, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was used in a novel way in conjunction with dark-field (DF) TEM to elucidate the role of antimony in improving the material quality. The results show that antimony improves the material uniformity via reduction of the local compositional fluctuations of indium.

Erbium ion (Er3+) doped materials are of great interest for their optical amplification, lasing and frequency up-conversion properties. When preparing such materials, a major problem that often arises is the formation of Er-rich oxide clusters inducing optical quenching. The materials prepared at low Er3+-ion concentrations to overcome the problem have severely reduced the optical yield. Such clustering might be avoided by preparing suitable precursors. If Er is encapsulated with proper materials, clustering can be avoided and higher doping levels can be achieved. In this study, erbium phenoxide complex was obtained by metathesis reaction of erbium chloride (ErCl3) with potassium phenoxide (KOPh). And heterometallic complexes were also synthesized by encapsulation of the Er with Al or Ti derivatives. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis. Their crystal structures were determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. In addition, the Er-doped organic-inorganic matrices using the erbium complexes were investigated about their optical properties.