DEVELOPMENT OF AIN/SI PHOTONICS AND APPLICATIONS IN THE MID-INFRARED

Abstract

Waveguide-based photonics has commercial significance in telecommunication applications functioning in the near-infrared. Moving to the mid-infrared (MIR), waveguide-based photonics has promising potentials for label-free and damage-free sensing. However, the limitation of material platform choice and on-chip active components integration hinders the boost of MIR photonics. This thesis investigates the waveguide-based AlN/Si photonics with an emphasis on its application in the MIR. MIR SOI platform is studied with a focus on low-loss and broadband performance which are desired for spectroscopy. MIR aluminum nitride on insulator (AlNOI) platform including waveguide, light router, splitter, and resonator, is proposed and demonstrated for the first time. Thermal annealing study is performed to reduce the platform loss. A MIR waveguide-integrated black phosphorus photodetector with a detection wavelength up to 4.03 µm is demonstrated for on-chip integration. Multilayer AlN on Si photonic platform and AlN modulator based on 2nd order nonlinearity are investigated toward integrated photonics system.