Superluminescent Diodes and Semiconductor Amplifiers Based on GaAs Window Structures - Follow-on-Fund

覆盖650 - 1650nm光谱的两个主要材料平台：InP覆盖1200nm - 1650nm， GaAs覆盖650nm - ~1310nm。与InP相比，GaAs具有许多优势，例如更低的成本和更高的性能，此外还可以获得InP无法获得的波长。然而，砷化镓器件通常只能作为简单的脊波导使用。InP器件也可以作为更复杂的埋地波导，更容易集成，并提供山脊波导所没有的灵活性，同时它们还提供改进的散热，允许更小的有源体积的更高电流密度，并具有可控的光束轮廓。这些都是在EPSRC授予EP/E001017的GaAs材料系统中成功开发的，为未来光电集成电路的整合提供了最好的材料和最好的器件架构，允许技术先进的器件架构在目前这些器件未覆盖的波长上开发。IP是在将我们的新技术用于埋置砷化镓波导的超发光二极管（SLD）和半导体光放大器（SOA）的情况下产生的，其操作依赖于在光学腔的一端或多个端获得超低反射率反射镜（不像激光器需要高反射镜反射率的情况）。应用我们的技术，可以获得比使用其他技术报道的最低反射率低几个数量级的镜面反射率，并允许采用这种设计的sld的性能发生阶跃变化，我们的未经优化的原理验证设备提供世界领先的性能。虽然该技术能够扩展到GaAs访问的整个波长范围和相关应用，但我们将首先解决光学相干断层扫描领域的sld和soa的巨大新兴市场-这是一种在全球医疗保健市场推出的医学成像技术。将对材料和设备设计进行轻微修改，资金还将允许原型设备的商业包装用于现场测试模块，并进行必要的可靠性测试，以说服用户和/或技术许可方。

Two main material platforms covering the spectrum from 650nm to 1650nm: InP covering 1200nm to 1650nm and GaAs covering 650nm to ~1310nm. GaAs offers a number of advantages over InP such as lower cost and higher performance in addition to accessing wavelengths unattainable in InP. However GaAs devices are typically only available as simple ridge waveguides. InP devices are also available as more complex buried waveguides which are more easily integrated and offer flexibility not found in ridge waveguides whilst they also offer improved heat dissipation, permit higher current densities for smaller active volume and have controllable optical beam profiles. These were successfully developed in the GaAs materials system in EPSRC grant EP/E001017, offering the best materials and best device architectures for future incorporation in opto-electronic integrated circuits, allowing technologically advanced device architectures to be developed at wavelengths not presently covered by such devices. IP was generated in applying our novel technique for buried GaAs waveguides to the case of the superluminescent diode (SLD) and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), whose operation relies upon attainment of an ultra-low reflectivity mirror at one or more ends of an optical cavity (unlike the case of a laser in which high mirror reflectivities are required). Application of our technique has enabled attainment of mirror reflectivities which are orders of magnitude lower than the lowest reported using alternative techniques, and has allowed a step change in the performance of SLDs incorporating this design, with our unoptimised proof-of-principle devices offering world-leading performance.Whilst this technology is capable of extension across the complete range of wavelengths and associated applications accessed by GaAs, we will first address a large burgeoning market for SLDs and SOAs in the field of optical coherence tomography - a medical imaging technology rolling out across the global healthcare market. Slight modification to the materials and device designs will be made, and the funding will also allow both the commercial packaging of prototype devices for beta testing modules in the field and the reliability testing necessary for convincing users and/or licensees of the technology.