Stable, highly nonlinear amorphous silicon nanowires with very low nonlinear absorption

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates hydrogenated amorphous silicon nanowires with high nonlinear refractive index and low absorption, showing stable performance over hours, suitable for nonlinear optical applications.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental characterization of amorphous silicon nanowires with high nonlinearity and stability, highlighting their potential for integrated nonlinear photonics.

Findings

High nonlinear refractive index (n2=1.19x10^-17 m^2/W)

Low two-photon absorption (0.14x10^-11 m/W)

Stable optical response over hours of operation

Abstract

The nonlinear characteristics of hydrogenated amorphous silicon nanowires are experimentally demonstrated. A high nonlinear refractive index, n2=1.19 x 10-17 m2/W, combined with a low two-photon absorption, 0.14 x 10-11 m/W, resulted in a high nonlinear FOM of 5.5. Furthermore, systematic studies over hours of operational time under 2.2W of pulse peak power revealed no degradation of the optical response.