Silicon-photonics light source realized by III–V/Si-grating-mirror laser

Abstract

A III–V/Si vertical-cavity in-plane-emitting laser structure is suggested and numerically investigated. This hybrid laser consists of a distributed Bragg reflector, a III–V active region, and a high-index-contrast grating (HCG) connected to an in-plane output waveguide. The HCG and the output waveguide are made in the Si layer of a silicon-on-insulator wafer by using Si-electronics-compatible processing. The HCG works as a highly-reflective mirror for vertical resonance and at the same time routes light to the in-plane output waveguide. Numerical simulations show superior performance compared to existing silicon light sources.

Silicon-integrated short-wavelength hybrid-cavity VCSEL

“…In addition, a silicon nitride waveguide can be connected to the HCG for in-plane emission, which has been demonstrated for long-wavelength VCSELs [7,13,14]. Together with an integrated wavelength multiplexer, this would enable the fabrication of fully integrated high speed and high efficiency shortwavelength transmitters for WDM optical interconnects [15].…”

Modulation speed enhancement of directly modulated lasers using a micro-ring resonator

“…Although the proofof-concept demonstration is performed with a 10-Gbit/s distributed feedback (DFB) DML, the scheme is directly applicable to VCSELs, where it could benefit from integration of the laser on the silicon-on-insulator platform [4]. Furthermore, it is scalable to higher bit rates and able to process multiple wavelengths simultaneously thanks to the periodic response of the MRR, thus enabling a potentially low cost, low power consumption and ultra-compact high-speed multi-wavelength transmitter compatible with active optical cables technologies.…”

Hybrid grating reflectors: Origin of ultrabroad stopband

“…A metallic heat spreader or a channel can be a solution. 19,22 An HG-based cavity consisting of an HG reflector with a gain material in the cap layer, a very thin dummy cavity, and another reflector can reach the lasing condition, since the field intensity in the cap layer can be comparable to that in the cavity. 15 In the HGbased laser, the heat can be dissipated directly from the cap layer to the Si layer.…”

“…[19][20][21][22][23] The hybrid vertical-cavity lasers are promising for silicon photonics light sources 20,21 and ultrahigh-speed operation. 23 In HCGbased hybrid lasers, achieving efficient heat dissipation is a key challenge for continuous wave (CW) operation, due to the poor heat conduction of the low refractive-index surrounding materials, e.g., air or SiO 2 .…”