Towards a low-power nanophotonic semiconductor amplifier heterogeneously integrated with SOI waveguides

Abstract

In this paper we propose an optically pumped nanophotonic III-V semiconductor optical amplifier heterogeneously integrated on a silicon-on-insulator waveguide circuit through wafer bonding technology. 10μm long adiabatic tapers allow a full power transfer from the silicon waveguide layer to the III-V membrane. Low-power consumption is expected, given the high optical confinement in the 100nm thick III-V membrane waveguide, making it suitable for intra-chip optical interconnect networks. We report on the design and preliminary characterization of this novel type of high-index contrast nanophotonic device. ©2010 IEEE.