Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform

Abstract Recent advancements in integrated soliton microcombs open the route to a wide range of chip-based communication, sensing, and metrology applications. The technology translation from laboratory demonstrations to real-world applications requires the fabrication process of photonics chips to b...

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Main Authors: Chengli Wang, Jin Li, Ailun Yi, Zhiwei Fang, Liping Zhou, Zhe Wang, Rui Niu, Yang Chen, Jiaxiang Zhang, Ya Cheng, Junqiu Liu, Chun-Hua Dong, Xin Ou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2022-12-01
Series:Light: Science & Applications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-022-01042-w
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author Chengli Wang
Jin Li
Ailun Yi
Zhiwei Fang
Liping Zhou
Zhe Wang
Rui Niu
Yang Chen
Jiaxiang Zhang
Ya Cheng
Junqiu Liu
Chun-Hua Dong
Xin Ou
author_facet Chengli Wang
Jin Li
Ailun Yi
Zhiwei Fang
Liping Zhou
Zhe Wang
Rui Niu
Yang Chen
Jiaxiang Zhang
Ya Cheng
Junqiu Liu
Chun-Hua Dong
Xin Ou
author_sort Chengli Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Recent advancements in integrated soliton microcombs open the route to a wide range of chip-based communication, sensing, and metrology applications. The technology translation from laboratory demonstrations to real-world applications requires the fabrication process of photonics chips to be fully CMOS-compatible, such that the manufacturing can take advantage of the ongoing evolution of semiconductor technology at reduced cost and with high volume. Silicon nitride has become the leading CMOS platform for integrated soliton devices, however, it is an insulator and lacks intrinsic second-order nonlinearity for electro-optic modulation. Other materials have emerged such as AlN, LiNbO3, AlGaAs and GaP that exhibit simultaneous second- and third-order nonlinearities. Here, we show that silicon carbide (SiC) -- already commercially deployed in nearly ubiquitous electrical power devices such as RF electronics, MOSFET, and MEMS due to its wide bandgap properties, excellent mechanical properties, piezoelectricity and chemical inertia -- is a new competitive CMOS-compatible platform for nonlinear photonics. High-quality-factor microresonators (Q = 4 × 106) are fabricated on 4H-SiC-on-insulator thin films, where a single soliton microcomb is generated. In addition, we observe wide spectral translation of chaotic microcombs from near-infrared to visible due to the second-order nonlinearity of SiC. Our work highlights the prospects of SiC for future low-loss integrated nonlinear and quantum photonics that could harness electro-opto-mechanical interactions on a monolithic platform.
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spelling doaj.art-c93dc1f90afc4565a7baa92141c850b42022-12-22T04:18:56ZengNature Publishing GroupLight: Science & Applications2047-75382022-12-0111111010.1038/s41377-022-01042-wSoliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platformChengli Wang0Jin Li1Ailun Yi2Zhiwei Fang3Liping Zhou4Zhe Wang5Rui Niu6Yang Chen7Jiaxiang Zhang8Ya Cheng9Junqiu Liu10Chun-Hua Dong11Xin Ou12State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory (XXL), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesThe Extreme Optoelectromechanics Laboratory (XXL), School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal UniversityInternational Quantum AcademyCAS Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Recent advancements in integrated soliton microcombs open the route to a wide range of chip-based communication, sensing, and metrology applications. The technology translation from laboratory demonstrations to real-world applications requires the fabrication process of photonics chips to be fully CMOS-compatible, such that the manufacturing can take advantage of the ongoing evolution of semiconductor technology at reduced cost and with high volume. Silicon nitride has become the leading CMOS platform for integrated soliton devices, however, it is an insulator and lacks intrinsic second-order nonlinearity for electro-optic modulation. Other materials have emerged such as AlN, LiNbO3, AlGaAs and GaP that exhibit simultaneous second- and third-order nonlinearities. Here, we show that silicon carbide (SiC) -- already commercially deployed in nearly ubiquitous electrical power devices such as RF electronics, MOSFET, and MEMS due to its wide bandgap properties, excellent mechanical properties, piezoelectricity and chemical inertia -- is a new competitive CMOS-compatible platform for nonlinear photonics. High-quality-factor microresonators (Q = 4 × 106) are fabricated on 4H-SiC-on-insulator thin films, where a single soliton microcomb is generated. In addition, we observe wide spectral translation of chaotic microcombs from near-infrared to visible due to the second-order nonlinearity of SiC. Our work highlights the prospects of SiC for future low-loss integrated nonlinear and quantum photonics that could harness electro-opto-mechanical interactions on a monolithic platform.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-022-01042-w
spellingShingle Chengli Wang
Jin Li
Ailun Yi
Zhiwei Fang
Liping Zhou
Zhe Wang
Rui Niu
Yang Chen
Jiaxiang Zhang
Ya Cheng
Junqiu Liu
Chun-Hua Dong
Xin Ou
Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
Light: Science & Applications
title Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
title_full Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
title_fullStr Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
title_full_unstemmed Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
title_short Soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on CMOS-compatible 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform
title_sort soliton formation and spectral translation into visible on cmos compatible 4h silicon carbide on insulator platform
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-022-01042-w
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