Towards an erbium-doped waveguide amplifier sensitized by silicon nanoclusters

• Author / Creator

  Lenz, Florian Christoph

• Amorphous and crystalline silicon nanocomposites have been shown to act as effective “sensitizers” for erbium ions. In the present work, a series of erbium-doped (0.2 at.%) SiOx:Er films (x = 1 - 1.8) were synthesized by physical vapor deposition and subsequently annealed at temperatures ranging from 400°C to 1100°C to induce phase separation and cluster growth. Silicon nanocluster (Si-NC) and Er3+
  photoluminescence intensity spectra and dynamics were investigated as a function of SiOx composition, annealing temperature, pump wavelength and power, and specimen temperature in order to determine characteristic cross-sections and to map the efficiency of the energy transfer process between Si-NCs and Er3+ ions. Additionally, two types of optical waveguides based on SiOx:Er materials were fabricated using conventional CMOS compatible microfabrication processes. Waveguide propagation losses as well as signal absorption and enhancement were investigated
  under pumping conditions to evaluate the use of SiOx:Er materials as amplifying media.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Sensitizers, silicon nanoclusters, optical waveguide amplifiers

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R39P6T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.