Fully Integrated CMOS-compatible mode-locked lasers
Author(s)
Shtyrkova, Katia
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Advisor
Erich P. Ippen.
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The field of integrated photonics has already revolutionized optical communications and is making rapid advances in signal processing, light detection and ranging, optical sensing, bio-medical diagnostics and imaging, and military-related applications. Large and complex radio-frequency and optical systems could be potentially replaced with compact, power-ecient, alignment-free, cost-effectively mass-produced integrated photonics components. An on-chip high repetition-rate mode-locked laser is a key enabler of many integrated photonics applications, such as all-optical sampling, on-chip frequency combs, low phase noise microwave oscillators, photonic ADCs and others. First-ever fully-integrated on-chip mode-locked lasers are demonstrated in this work, fabricated using a CMOS-compatible process. The lasers have no o-chip elements other than the pump laser, which could be easily co-packaged. 1900nm and 1550nm lasers are designed, fabricated and characterized. For 1900nm central wavelength lasers, several dierent laser configuration are demonstrated, with repetition rates of 690MHz and 1.2GHz. Q-switched, Q-switch-mode-locked, and CW mode-locked laser operation was demonstrated, with the shortest pulse durations of 250fs. The smallest foot-print of one laser is 23.6mm x0.78mmx0.6mm. In addition, first-ever fully-on-chip CMOS-compatible mode-locking element based on Kerr nonlinearity is demonstrated for 1550nm and 1900nm laser wavelengths. Demonstrated modulation depths for 1900nm and 1550nm mode-locking devices are 9% and 2.5% respectively. The work in this thesis presents the first-ever demonstration of fully-onchip CMOS compatible mode-locking device, as well as first-ever CMOS-compatible mode-locked lasers with no o-chip components.
Description
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-205).
Date issued
2018Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencePublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.