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

覆盖从650 nm到1650 nm的两个主要材料平台：覆盖1200 nm到1650 nm的InP和覆盖650 nm到~1310 nm的GaAs。与InP相比，GaAs具有许多优点，例如更低的成本和更高的性能，此外还可以访问InP无法达到的波长。然而，砷化镓器件通常只能作为简单的脊波导来使用。INP器件还可以作为更复杂的掩埋波导提供，这种波导更易于集成，并提供脊形波导所没有的灵活性，同时它们还提供改进的散热，允许更高的电流密度以实现更小的有源体积，并具有可控制的光束轮廓。这些器件是在EPSRC Grant EP/E001017中的GaAs材料系统中成功开发的，为未来应用于光电集成电路提供了最佳的材料和最佳的器件架构，使技术先进的器件架构能够在此类器件目前未覆盖的波长下开发。IP是在将我们的新技术应用于超辐射二极管(SLD)和半导体光放大器(SOA)的情况下产生的，其运行依赖于在光学腔的一端或多端获得超低反射率镜面(不像激光器需要高镜面反射率的情况)。我们技术的应用使我们能够获得比使用替代技术报告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的性能发生阶段性变化，我们的未经优化的原理验证设备提供了世界领先的性能。虽然这项技术能够扩展到GaAs访问的所有波长和相关应用，但我们将首先解决光学相干层析成像领域的SLD和SOA的一个巨大的新兴市场-这是一种在全球医疗保健市场推出的医疗成像技术。将对材料和设备设计进行轻微修改，这笔资金还将允许对实地测试版测试模块的原型设备进行商业包装，并进行必要的可靠性测试，以说服用户和/或许可证持有人使用这项技术。

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.