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arXiv · 2601.05365

Experimental Demonstration of Plasmon-Enabled Monolithic Bragg Reflectors for Infrared Light via Inverse Design

Mikołaj Badura·Mikołaj Janczak·Michał Rygała·Tristan Smołka·Adriana Łozińska·Wojciech Dawidowski·Paweł Piotr Michałowski·Beata Ściana·Marcin Motyka·Tomasz Czyszanowski
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Abstract

High-reflectivity mirrors in the mid-infrared (MIR) range are essential for next-generation optoelectronic devices but are still constrained by strain accumulation, poor thermal conductivity, and growth instability of thick multi-alloy stacks in conventional distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). We introduce plasmon-enabled DBRs (PE DBRs) based on modulation-doped monolithic InP, where plasmonic dispersion in highly doped layers provides a strong refractive-index contrast. Using inverse-design optimization targeting reduced free-carrier absorption and maximized reflectivity, we demonstrate that PE DBRs can achieve reflectivities approaching 100%. Experimentally grown 14 {\mu}m thick InP PE DBRs exhibit up to 99% reflectance with bandwidths reaching 18% of the design wavelength. The monolithic, junction-free configuration ensures low resistivity and enhanced thermal performance, offering a scalable platform for efficient plasmonic mirrors in MIR photonics, with potential applications in photodetectors, light-emitting diodes and lasers.

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Mikołaj Badura, Mikołaj Janczak, Michał Rygała, Tristan Smołka, Adriana Łozińska, Wojciech Dawidowski, Paweł Piotr Michałowski, Beata Ściana, Marcin Motyka, Tomasz Czyszanowski. 2026-01-08. Experimental Demonstration of Plasmon-Enabled Monolithic Bragg Reflectors for Infrared Light via Inverse Design. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.05365

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