Suspended AlGaAs-Integrated Nonlinear Photonics

TL;DR

This paper introduces suspended AlGaAs waveguides and resonators that enable high-quality, efficient nonlinear photonics, overcoming fabrication challenges of traditional wafer bonding methods.

Contribution

It presents a novel suspended AlGaAs platform with high Q factors and Kerr comb generation, simplifying fabrication for integrated nonlinear photonics.

Findings

Intrinsic quality factor Q of 2.1 million achieved

Kerr comb generation with milliwatt threshold demonstrated

Suspended waveguides enable high efficiency nonlinear photonics

Abstract

AlGaAs is a promising integrated nonlinear photonics material with enormous optical nonlinearity and high refractive index. Nevertheless, presently AlGaAs microring resonators exhibiting high quality factors and tight optical confinement rely predominantly on wafer bonding techniques, which entail an intricate fabrication process. Here, we present suspended AlGaAs waveguides and resonators as a viable platform for high efficiency integrated nonlinear photonics. The suspended microring resonator formed by combined plasma dry etching and chemical wet etching exhibits an intrinsic quality factor Q of 2.1*106, and Kerr comb generation with milliwatt level threshold is recorded. Our demonstration opens up a new prospect for employing AlGaAs devices in integrated nonlinear photonics.