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MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
EECS Event |
Tuesday, May 1, 2001
2:00 PM (refreshments 1:45)
von Hippel Room, 13-2137
EECS Special Seminar
Abstract
Si MICROPHOTONICS AND MICROCAVITIES
High index contrast between Si and SiO2 accounts for highly optical confining structures. This allows the fabrication of low loss sub-micron size optical elements, such as optical waveguides, splitters, modulators, emitters, detectors, etc. For optically active elements, Erbium in Si-based micro-cavities have been studied.
The main barrier to using Er-doped structures as photonic materials is the weak interaction of Er3+ with light. The small optical absorption cross section, for example, requires the Er-doped amplifiers to be tens of meters of length. Microcavities can be used in order to enhance this interaction. In this talk I will review the physics and applications of microcavities. I will present results on Er2O3 and Erbium-doped Si in Si/SiO2 planar microcavities. Using these structures we have demonstrated amplified spontaneous emission of factors up to 1000.