Impact of Si nanocrystals in a-SiOx<Er> in C-Band emission for applications in resonators structures

TL;DR

This study investigates how silicon nanocrystals in erbium-doped amorphous silicon oxide affect emission properties, especially in the C-Band, revealing that nanocrystals reduce Er3+ emission efficiency.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the impact of Si nanocrystals on Er3+ emission in a-SiOx, highlighting factors influencing C-Band emission for photonic applications.

Findings

Si nanocrystals produce broadband emission from 700nm to 1000nm.

Presence of Si-NC reduces emission at 1550 nm in the C-Band.

Energy transfer efficiency from nanocrystals to Er3+ ions is lower than from amorphous matrix.

Abstract

Si nanocrystals (Si-NC) in a-SiOx<Er> were created by high temperature annealing. Si-NC samples have large emission in a broadband region, 700nm to 1000nm. Annealing temperature, annealing time, substrate type, and erbium concentration is studied to allow emission at 1550 nm forsamples with erbium. Emission in the C-Band region is largely reduced by the presence of Si-NC. This reduction may be due to less efficient energy transfer processes from the nanocrystals than from the amorphous matrix to the Er3+ ions, perhaps due to the formation of more centro-symmetric Er3+ sites at the nanocrystal surfaces or to very different optimal erbium concentrations between amorphous and crystallized samples.