Mid-infrared integrated optoelectronics on silicon

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The global acceleration of the information technology creates pressing needs for cost-effective broadband, high-density, and high-speed data interconnections for high-performance, energy-efficient signal processing and computing. This increasing demand will push the limits of the electrical interconnects by forcing the transmission distance to shrink, which limits architectures and exacerbates heat dissipation challenges as a result of forcing hot processors closer and closer together. Optical interconnections via silicon photonic platforms have recently been recognized as critical to overcome this technological bottleneck. One of the key components of silicon photonics is the integrated light source which serves as the electrical to optical converter. The on-chip light sources are crucial to achieve a higher integration density, higher scalability, and a better energy efficiency. However, the fact that Si is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and thus a poor light emitter has been a major hurdle facing the development of silicon photonics.****To circumvent these limitations, this project focuses on developing group IV light sources by exploiting the emerging silicon-germanium-tin (SiGeSn) semiconductors. The project will capitalize on the fact that SiGeSn semiconductors can be grown on silicon wafers to achieve scalable, cost-effective Si photonic devices. The project will introduce these emerging semiconductors to design and implement three indispensable light emitting devices operating in the wavelength range of 2-5 µm, which provides a cost-effective alternative for inter-chip communications. Developing these mid-infrared devices will also create far-reaching new opportunities to interface electronics and biological and chemical sensing as important organic molecules and gases exhibit absorption bands in this wavelength range. This novel family of light emitting devices will benefit from the compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing leading to a full exploitation of the current microelectronic and optoelectronic technologies.********