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Hamed Dalir

Publications and source records attributed to Hamed Dalir.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2020

The Main Role of Thermal Annealing in Controlling the Structural and Optical Properties of ITO Thin Film Layer

Here we report on studying the electronic and optical material properties of the technologically-relevant material indium tin oxide (ITO) as a function of thermal annealing. In this work, ITO powder has been prepared utilizing solid-state reaction methods. An electron beam gun technology has been used to prepare a ITO film (325 nm). The ITO window layer has been investigated at various temperatures. The effects of absolute temperature on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the prepared ITO thin film layer are investigated. The energy band type corresponding to the orbital transitions has been determined, and the energies of the orbital transitions have been calculated in the Tauc region, HOMO/LUMO gap, and charge transfer gap. In additions, the exciton and Urbach energies have been computed. It has been found that these energies increase with increasing the annealing temperature, except for Urbach's energies which behave differently. Thin-film quality coefficient, surface resistance, and thermal emission in addition to the angle of refraction as a function of wavelength, have been determined.

physics.gen-ph↗
arXiv2020

Influence of Asymmetric Gain Suppression on Relative Intensity Noise Properties of Multimode Semiconductor Lasers

We introduce modeling and simulation of the noise properties associated with types of modal oscillations induced by scaling the asymmetric gain suppression (AGS) in multimode semiconductor lasers. The study is based on numerical integration of a system of rate equations of 21-oscillating modes taking account of the self- and cross-modal gain suppression mechanisms. AGS is varied in terms of a pre-defined parameter, which is controlled by the linewidth enhancement factor and differential gain. Basing on intensive simulation of the mode dynamics, we present a mapping (AGS versus current) diagram of the possible types of modal oscillations. When the laser oscillation is hopping multimode oscillation (HMMO), the spectra of relative intensity noise (RIN) of the total output and hopping modes are characterized by a sharp peak around the relaxation oscillation (RO) frequency and a broad peak around the hopping frequency. The levels of RIN in the regimes of single-mode oscillation (SMO) are much lower than those under HMMO, and the mode-partition noise is two order of magnitudes lower.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

Structure, Electrical and Optical Properties of ITO Thin Films and their Influence on Performance of CdS/CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cells

In terms of mixing graded TiO2 and SnO2 powders by solid-state reaction method, ITO was prepared. Using electron beam gun technology, ITO films with different thicknesses were prepared. The influence of film thickness on structure, electrical and optical properties was studied. The XRD patterns were utilized to determine the structural parameters (lattice strain and crystallite size) of ITO with different thicknesses. It is observed that the average crystallite size increases as the film thickness increases, but the lattice strain decreases. SEM shows that as the film thickness increases, the grain size of ITO increases and improves. The electrical properties of ITO films with different thicknesses were measured by the standard four-point probe method. It can be seen that as the thickness of the ITO film increases from 75 nm to 325 nm, the resistivity decreases from 29x10^-4 Ohm/cm to 1.65x10^-4 Ohm/cm. This means that ITO films with lower electrical properties will be more suitable for high-efficiency CdTe solar cells. Three optical layer models (adhesive layer of the substrate/B-spline layer of ITO film/surface roughness layer) are used to calculate the film thickness with high-precision ellipsometry. In the higher T(lambda) and R(lambda) absorption regions, the absorption coefficient is determined to calculate the optical energy gap, which increases from 3.56 eV to 3.69 eV. Finally, the effects of ITO layers of various thicknesses on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells are also studied. When the thickness of the ITO window layer is 325 nm, Voc = 0.82 V, Jsc = 17 mA/cm2, and FF = 57.4%, the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) is 8.6%.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2020

Transverse Coupled Cavity VCSEL: Making 100 GHz Bandwidth Achievable

Enhancing the modulation bandwidth (MBW) of semiconductor lasers has been the challenge of research and technology to meet the need of high-speed photonic applications. In this paper, we propose the design of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser integrated with multiple transverse coupled cavities (MTCCs) as a promising device with ultra-high 3-dB bandwidth. The laser features high modulation performance because of the accumulated strong coupling of the slow-light feedback from the surrounding lateral TCCs into the VCSEL cavity. Photon-photon resonance (PPR) is predicted to occur at ultra-high frequencies exceeding 145 GHz due to the optical feedback from short TCCs, which achieves 3-dB MBW reaching 170 GHz. The study is based on the modeling of the VCSEL dynamics under multiple transverse slow-light feedback from the surrounding TCCs. We show that the integration of the VCSEL with four or six feedback cavities is advantageous over the TCC-VCSEL in achieving much higher MBW enhancement under weaker coupling of slow-light into the VCSEL cavity. We also characterize the noise properties of the promising MTCC-VCSEL in the regime of ultra-high bandwidth in terms of the Fourier spectrum of the relative intensity noise (RIN).

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

Stabilizing Multimode Hopping Oscillations and Reducing Associated Noise in Long Wavelength Laser Diode Using External Optical Feedback

We report on converting the multimode hopping oscillation (MHO) in long-wavelength semiconductor laser into single-mode oscillation (SMO) by applying external optical feedback (OFB). We characterize and compare the noise performance of the laser when supporting SMO and multimode oscillations. The study is based on a modified time-delay multimode rate-equation model of the laser that includes mechanisms of spectral gain suppression along with OFB induced due to multiple reflections by an external reflector. The study is applied to 1.55um-InGaAsP laser that exhibits multimode hopping in its solitary version and supports wide bandwidth. The noise is evaluated in terms of the relative intensity noise (RIN). We show that when OFB synchronizes with the asymmetric gain suppression (AGS), it enhances the gain of one longer wavelength mode and supports SMO. In this case OFB improves the noise performance of the laser. On the other hand, when OFB works against AGS, it sustains hopping multimode oscillation (HMMO) and deteriorates the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) and the noise performance.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

Heterogeneously Integrated ITO Plasmonic Mach-Zehnder Interferometric Modulator on SOI

Densely integrated active photonics is key for next generation on-chip networks for addressing both footprint and energy budget concerns. However, the weak light-matter interaction in traditional active Silicon optoelectronics mandates rather sizable device lengths. The ideal active material choice should avail high index modulation while being easily integrated into Silicon photonics platforms. Indium tin oxide (ITO) offers such functionalities and has shown promising modulation capacity recently. Interestingly, the nanometer-thin unity-strong index modulation of ITO synergistically combines the high group-index in hybrid plasmonic with nanoscale optical modes. Following this design paradigm, here, we demonstrate a spectrally broadband, GHz-fast Mach-Zehnder interferometric modulator, exhibiting a high efficiency signified by a miniscule VpL of 95 Vum, deploying an one-micrometer compact electrostatically tunable plasmonic phase-shifter, based on heterogeneously integrated ITO thin films into silicon photonics. Furthermore we show, that this device paradigm enables spectrally broadband operation across the entire telecommunication near infrared C-band. Such sub-wavelength short efficient and fast modulators monolithically integrated into Silicon platform open up new possibilities for high-density photonic circuitry, which is critical for high interconnect density of photonic neural networks or applications in GHz-fast optical phased-arrays, for example.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2020

Extra Loss-free Non-Hermitian Engineered Single Mode Laser Systems

In a laser system non-Hermitian methods such as Parity-Time (PT) Symmetry and Supersymmetry (SUSY) have shown and demonstrated the ability to suppress unwanted lasing modes and, thus, achieved single mode lasing operation through the addition of lossy passive elements. While these approaches enable laser engineering versatility, they rely on the drawback of adding optical losses to a system tasked to produce single mode gain. Unlike PT and SUSY lasers, here we show an extra loss-free non-Hermitian laser engineering approach to realize single mode lasing operation for the first time. By selectively enhancing the fundamental modes quality factor, we obtain single mode operation with higher output power per cavity since all cavities in this system contribute to the laser output, in contrast to other non-Hermitian approaches. Furthermore, we show that this approach interestingly allows reducing the number of to-be-designed cavities in super-partner array as compared with, for example, the SUSY approach, thus leading to reduced design complexity upon coupled cavity scale up of laser arrays. In summary, the ability to engineer coupled laser systems where each laser cavity contributes to coherent light amplification opens up a new degree of laser-design freedom leading to increased device performance and simultaneous reduced design and fabrication complexity.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

Hexagonal Transverse Coupled Cavity VCSEL Redefining the High-Speed Lasers

The vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have emerged as a vital approach for realizing energy efficient, high speed optical interconnects in the data center and supercomputers. As of today, VCSEL is the most suitable for mass production in terms of cost-effectiveness and reliability. However, there are still key challenges for higher speed modulation above 40 GHz. Here, a hexagonal transverse coupled cavity VCSEL adiabatically coupled through the center cavity is proposed. A 3-dB roll-off modulation bandwidth of 45 GHz is demonstrated, which is five times greater than a conventional VCSEL fabricated on the same epi-wafer structure. While a parity time (PT) symmetry approaches add loss to engineer the topological state of the laser system, here, a radical paradigm shift with gain introduces symmetry breaking. This idea, then enables a single mode operation with a side-mode suppression-ratio (SMSR) of > 30 decibels and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of > 45 decibels. The energy distribution inside the coupled cavity system is also redistributed to provide a coherent gain in a spatially separated system. Consequently, throughput power is three times higher than that of the conventional VCSEL.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2020

Fast Accurate Point of Care COVID-19 Pandemic Diagnosis Enabled Through Advanced Lab-on-a-Chip Optical Biosensors: Opportunities and Challenges

The sudden rise of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic early 2020 throughout the world has called into drastic action measures to do instant detection and reduce the spread rate. The common diagnostics testing methods has been only partially effective in satisfying the booming demand for fast detection methods to contain the further spread. However, the point-of-risk accurate diagnosis of this new emerging viral infection is paramount as simultaneous normal working operation and dealing with symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 can become the norm for years to come. Sensitive cost-effective biosensor with mass production capability is crucial throughout the world until a universal vaccination become available. Optical label-free biosensors can provide a non-invasive, extremely sensitive rapid detection technique up to ~1 fM concentration along with few minutes sensing. These biosensors can be manufactured on a mass-scale (billions) to detect the COVID-19 viral load in nasal, saliva, urinal, and serological samples even if the infected person is asymptotic. Methods investigated here are the most advanced available platforms for biosensing optical devices resulted from the integration of state-of-the-art designs and materials. These approaches are including but not limited to integrated optical devices, plasmonic resonance and also emerging nanomaterial biosensors. The lab-on-a-chip platforms examined here are suitable not only for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein detection but also other contagious virions such as influenza, and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS).

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2020

Integrated Photonic FFT for Optical Convolutions towards Efficient and High-Speed Neural Networks

The technologically-relevant task of feature extraction from data performed in deep-learning systems is routinely accomplished as repeated fast Fourier transforms (FFT) electronically in prevalent domain-specific architectures such as in graphics processing units (GPUs). However, electronics systems are limited with respect to power dissipation and delay, both, due to wire-charging challenges related to interconnect capacitance. Here we present a silicon photonics-based architecture for convolutional neural networks that harnesses the phase property of light to perform FFTs efficiently by executing the convolution as a multiplication in the Fourier-domain. The algorithmic executing time is determined by the time-of-flight of the signal through this photonic reconfigurable passive FFT filter circuit and is on the order of 10s of picosecond. A sensitivity analysis shows that this optical processor must be thermally phase stabilized corresponding to a few degrees. Furthermore, we find that for a small sample number, the obtainable number of convolutions per {time-power-chip area) outperforms GPUs by about 2 orders of magnitude. Lastly, we show that, conceptually, the optical FFT and convolution-processing performance is indeed directly linked to optoelectronic device-level, and improvements in plasmonics, metamaterials or nanophotonics are fueling next generation densely interconnected intelligent photonic circuits with relevance for edge-computing 5G networks.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2019

A semi-empirical integrated microring cavity approach for 2D material optical index identification at 1.55 μm

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials provide a wide range of basic building blocks with unique properties, making them ideal for heterogeneous integration with a mature chip platform for advances in optical communication technology. Control and understanding of the precise value of the optical index of these materials, however, is challenging, due to the small lateral flake dimension. Here we demonstrate a semi-empirical method to determine the index of a 2D material (nMoTe2 of 4.36+0.011i) near telecommunication-relevant wavelength by integrating few layers of MoTe2 onto a micro-ring resonator. The placement, control, and optical-property understanding of 2D materials with integrated photonics paves a way for further studies of active 2D material-based optoelectronics and circuits.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

A Guide for Material and Design Choices for Electro-Optic Modulators and recent 2D-Material Silicon Modulator Demonstrations

Electro-optic modulation performs a technological relevant functionality such as for communication, beam steering, or neuromorphic computing through providing the nonlinear activation function of a perceptron. Wile Silicon photonics enabled the integration and hence miniaturization of optoelectronic devices, the weak electro-optic performance of Silicon renders these modulators to be bulky and power-hungry compared to a single switch functionality known from electronics. To gain deeper insights into the physics and operation of modulators hetero-generous integration of emerging electro-optically active materials could enable separating light passive and low-loss light routing from active light manipulation. Here we discuss and review our recent work on a) fundamental performance vectors of electro-optic modulators, and b) showcase recent development of heterogeneous-integrated emerging EO materials into Si-photonics to include an ITO-based MZM, a Graphene hybrid-plasmon and the first TMD-MRR modulator using a microring resonator. Our results indicate a viable path for energy efficient and compact Silicon photonic based modulators.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

A Lateral MOS-Capacitor Enabled ITO Mach-Zehnder Modulator for Beam Steering

Here, we experimentally demonstrate an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Mach-Zehnder interferometer heterogeneously integrated in silicon photonics. The phase shifter section is realized in a novel lateral MOS configuration, which, due to favorable electrostatic overlap, leads to efficient modulation (VπL = 63 Vum). This is achieved by (i) selecting a strong index changing material (ITO) and (ii) improving the field overlap as verified by the electrostatic field lines. Furthermore, we show that this platform serves as a building block in an endfire silicon photonics optical phased array (OPA) with a half-wavelength pitch within the waveguides with anticipated performance, including narrow main beam lobe (<3°) and >10 dB suppression of the side lobes, while electrostatically steering the emission profile up to plus/minus 80°, and if further engineered, can lead not only towards nanosecond-fast beam steering capabilities in LiDAR systems but also in holographic display, free-space optical communications, and optical switches.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

Coupling-enhanced Dual ITO Layer Electro-absorption Modulator in Silicon Photonics

Electro-optic signal modulation provides a key functionality in modern technology and information networks. Photonic integration has enabled not only miniaturizing photonic components, but also provided performance improvements due to co-design addressing both electrical and optical device rules. However, the millimeter-to-centimeter large footprint of many foundry-ready photonic electro-optic modulators significantly limits on-chip scaling density. To address these limitations, here we experimentally demonstrate a coupling-enhanced electro-absorption modulator by heterogeneously integrating a novel dual-gated indium-tin-oxide (ITO) phase-shifting tunable absorber placed at a silicon directional coupler region. Our experimental modulator shows a 2 dB extinction ratio for a just 4 um short device at 4 volt bias. Since no material nor optical resonances are deployed, this device shows spectrally broadband operation as demonstrated here across the entire C-band. In conclusion we demonstrate a modulator utilizing strong index-change from both real and imaginary part of active material enabling compact and high-performing modulators using semiconductor foundry-near materials.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2019

Towards integrated metatronics: a holistic approach on precise optical and electrical properties of Indium Tin Oxide

The class of transparent conductive oxides includes the material indium tin oxide (ITO) and has become a widely used material of modern every-day life such as in touch screens of smart phones and watches, but also used as an optically transparent low electrically-resistive contract in the photovoltaics industry. More recently ITO has shown epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) behavior in the telecommunication frequency band enabling both strong index modulation and other optically-exotic applications such as metatronics. However the ability to precisely obtain targeted electrical and optical material properties in ITO is still challenging due to complex intrinsic effects in ITO and as such no integrated metatronic platform has been demonstrated to-date. Here we deliver an extensive and accurate description process parameters of RF-sputtering, showing a holistic control of the quality of ITO thin films in the visible and particularly near-infrared spectral region. We further are able to custom-engineer the ENZ point across the telecommunication band by explicitly controlling the sputtering process conditions. Exploiting this control we design a functional sub-wavelength-scale filter based on lumped circuit-elements, towards the realization of integrated metatronic devices and circuits.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2018

Coupling-controlled Dual ITO Layer Electro-Optic Modulator in Silicon Photonics

Electro-optic signal modulation provides a key functionality in modern technology and information networks. Photonic integration has enabled not only miniaturizing photonic components, but also provided performance improvements due to co-design addressing both electrical and optical device rules. However the millimeter-to-centimeter large footprint of many foundry-ready photonic electro-optic modulators significantly limits scaling density. Furthermore, modulators bear a fundamental a frequency-response to energy-sensitive trade-off, a limitation that can be overcome with coupling-based modulators where the temporal response speed is decoupled from the optical cavity photo lifetime. Thus, the coupling effect to the resonator is modulated rather then tuning the index of the resonator itself. However, the weak electro-optic response of silicon limits such coupling modulator performance, since the micrometer-short overlap region of the waveguide-bus and a microring resonator is insufficient to induce signal modulation. To address these limitations, here we demonstrate a coupling-controlled electro-optic modulator by heterogeneously integrating a dual-gated indium-tin-oxide (ITO) phase shifter placed at the silicon microring-bus coupler region. Our experimental modulator shows about 4 dB extinction ratio on resonance, and a about 1.5 dB off resonance with a low insertion loss of 0.15 dB for a just 4 μm short device demonstrating a compact high 10:1 modulation-to-loss ratio. In conclusion we demonstrate a coupling modulator using strongly index-changeable materials enabling compact and high-performing modulators using semiconductor foundry-near materials.

physics.app-ph↗
arXiv2018

Compact Graphene Plasmonic Slot Photodetector on Silicon-on-insulator with High Responsivity

Graphene has extraordinary electro-optic properties and is therefore a promising candidate for monolithic photonic devices such as photodetectors. However, the integration of this atom-thin layer material with bulky photonic components usually results in a weak light-graphene interaction leading to large device lengths limiting electro-optic performance. In contrast, here we demonstrate a plasmonic slot graphene photodetector on silicon-on-insulator platform with high-responsivity given the 5 um-short device length. We observe that the maximum photocurrent, and hence the highest responsivity, scales inversely with the slot gap width. Using a dual-lithography step, we realize 15 nm narrow slots that show a 15-times higher responsivity per unit device-length compared to photonic graphene photodetectors. Furthermore, we reveal that the back-gated electrostatics is overshadowed by channel-doping contributions induced by the contacts of this ultra-short channel graphene photodetector. This leads to quasi charge neutrality, which explains both the previously-unseen offset between the maximum photovoltaic-based photocurrent relative to graphenes Dirac point and the observed non-ambipolar transport. Such micrometer compact and absorption-efficient photodetectors allow for short-carrier pathways in next-generation photonic components, while being an ideal testbed to study short-channel carrier physics in graphene optoelectronics.

physics.app-ph↗