Thick waveguides of low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride on sapphire (SiNOS).

Low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides with an unprecedented thickness of up to 1350 nm and a width in the range of 2.2 - 2.7 µm are fabricated using a single LPCVD step on sapphire substrates (SiNOS).

Modular microring laser cavity sensor.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a modular microring laser (MML) cavity for sensing applications. The proposed MML permits much more design freedom compared with a traditional simple ring cavity by decoupling the performance parameters into several regions in the cavity. Thus, the different biosensor performance parameters can be optimized semi-independently limiting the need for trade-offs on the design of the biosensing device.

Redeposition-Free Deep Etching in Small KY(WO) Samples.

KY(WO) is a promising material for on-chip laser sources. Deep etching of small KY(WO) samples in combination with various thin film deposition techniques is desirable for the manufacturing of such devices. There are, however, several difficulties that need to be overcome before deep etching of KY(WO) can be realized in small samples in a reproducible manner.

AlO:Yb integrated microdisk laser label-free biosensor.

Whispering gallery mode resonator lasers hold the promise of an ultralow intrinsic limit of detection. However, the widespread use of these devices for biosensing applications has been hindered by the complexity and lack of robustness of the proposed configurations. In this work, we demonstrate biosensing with an integrated microdisk laser.

Lapping and Polishing of Crystalline KY(WO): Toward High Refractive Index Contrast Slab Waveguides.

Rare-earth ion-doped potassium yttrium double tungstate, RE:KY(WO), is a promising candidate for small, power-efficient, on-chip lasers and amplifiers. Thin KY(WO)onglass layers with thicknesses ranging between 0.9 and 1.

Temperature dependence of the spectral characteristics of distributed-feedback resonators.

We characterize the spectral response of a distributed-feedback resonator when subject to a thermal chirp. An AlO rib waveguide with a corrugated surface Bragg grating inscribed into its SiO top cladding is experimentally investigated. We induce a near-to-linear temperature gradient along the resonator, leading to a similar variation of the grating period, and characterize its spectral response in terms of wavelength and linewidth of the resonance peak.

Low-loss, broadband and high fabrication tolerant vertically tapered optical couplers for monolithic integration of SiN and polymer waveguides.

A low-loss, broadband and high fabrication tolerant optical coupler for the monolithic integration of SiN and polymer waveguides is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The coupler is based on the adiabatic vertical tapering of the SiN waveguides. Low-loss operation is experimentally verified at both 976 and 1460-1635 nm wavelengths.

Waveguide-coupled micro-ball lens array suitable for mass fabrication.

We demonstrate a fabrication procedure for the direct integration of micro-ball lenses on planar integrated optical channel waveguide chips with the aim to reduce the divergence of light that arises from the waveguide in both horizontal and vertical directions. Fabrication of the lenses is based on photoresist reflow which is a procedure that allows for the use of photolithography for careful alignment of the lenses with respect to the waveguides and enables mass production. We present in detail the design and fabrication procedures.

Erbium-doped spiral amplifiers with 20 dB of net gain on silicon.

Spiral-waveguide amplifiers in erbium-doped aluminum oxide on a silicon wafer are fabricated and characterized. Spirals of several lengths and four different erbium concentrations are studied experimentally and theoretically. A maximum internal net gain of 20 dB in the small-signal-gain regime is measured at the peak emission wavelength of 1532 nm for two sample configurations with waveguide lengths of 12.

Integrated mechano-optical hydrogen gas sensor using cantilever bending readout with a Si3N4 grated waveguide.

We demonstrate a proof of concept of a novel and compact integrated mechano-optical sensor for H(2) detection based on a microcantilever suspended above a Si(3)N(4) grated waveguide. The fabricated devices are mechanically and optically modeled and characterized. Sensing operation of the sensor is demonstrated with 1% H(2) in N(2).

Micromechanically tuned ring resonator in silicon on insulator.

We demonstrate a monolithically integrated micromechano-optical device where the resonance wavelength of a silicon ring resonator is tuned by perturbing the evanescent field with an electrostatically actuated silicon nitride microcantilever. The resonance wavelength can be tuned over 125 pm.

Monolithic integration of erbium-doped amplifiers with silicon-on-insulator waveguides.

Monolithic integration of Al2O3:Er3+ amplifier technology with passive silicon-on-insulator waveguides is demonstrated. A signal enhancement of >7 dB at 1533 nm wavelength is obtained. The straightforward wafer-scale fabrication process, which includes reactive co-sputtering and subsequent reactive ion etching, allows for parallel integration of multiple amplifier and laser sections with silicon or other photonic circuits on a chip.