Dynamic control of light emission faster than the lifetime limit using VO2 phase-change

Abstract

Modulation is a cornerstone of optical communication, and as such, governs the overall speed of data transmission. Currently, the two main strategies for modulating light are direct modulation of the excited emitter population (for example, using semiconductor lasers) and external optical modulation (for example, using Mach–Zehnder interferometers or ring resonators). However, recent advances in nanophotonics offer an alternative approach to control spontaneous emission through modifications to the local density of optical states. Here, by leveraging the phase-change of a vanadium dioxide nanolayer, we demonstrate broadband all-optical direct modulation of 1.5 μm emission from trivalent erbium ions more than three orders of magnitude faster than their excited state lifetime. This proof-of-concept demonstration shows how integration with phase-change materials can transform widespread phosphorescent materials into high-speed optical sources that can be integrated in monolithic nanoscale devices for both free-space and on-chip communication.

Hybrid silicon-vanadium dioxide electro-optic modulators

“…In the simulation, VO 2 optical constants from Cueff et al were used. [20] The calculated resonance shift of ~ 8 nm is in reasonable agreement with the measured resonance shifts of ~ 5.5 nm and ~ 7 nm for the L = 3 µm devices reported in Figures 3a and 4b respectively. The slight differences in resonance shift are most likely attributable to the coarse mesh rendering that was implemented for efficient computation as well as slight variations in the thickness of the VO 2 deposited on the two devices measured in Figures 3a/4a and 4b.…”

Growth without Postannealing of Monoclinic VO2 Thin Film by Atomic Layer Deposition Using VCl4 as Precursor

“…Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) has attracted extensive research interest during the past decades owing to its unique behavior, called semiconductor-to-metal transition (SMT) or insulator-to-metal transition (IMT), which accompanies the reversible and ultrafast phase transition between monoclinic VO 2 [VO 2 (M)] and tetragonal rutile VO 2 [VO 2 (R)] at temperatures around 340 K (~67 • C) [1][2][3][4][5]. Thus, the optical and electrical properties of VO 2 can be switched by controlling the SMT behavior of VO 2 [6,7].…”

Nanoscale Phase Separation and Lattice Complexity in VO2: The Metal–Insulator Transition Investigated by XANES via Auger Electron Yield at the Vanadium L23-Edge and Resonant Photoemission

“…Around 67-68 • C, the vanadium dioxide undergoes the electronic metal-insulator transition upon heating or cooling with hysteretic behavior and a change in the electrical conductivity by several orders of magnitude, coupled to a Structural Phase Transition (SPT) from the monoclinic to the rutile phase. Since the discovery of the MIT transition more than 50 years ago by Morin and Westman [1,2], VO 2 has attracted a lot of interest because of its strong electron correlation; recently the interest has increased because of the wide number of different possible applications in optics, as detectors or sensors, and in novel memory devices based on the occurrence of the reversible MIT transition [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. However, since its discovery, and even now, the nature of this electronic/structural transition remains an open question.…”