On-chip quadratically nonlinear photodetector

TL;DR

This paper introduces an on-chip quadratically nonlinear photodetector using InSe on silicon, enabling quadratic photocurrent response, efficient second-harmonic generation, and applications like all-optical autocorrelation for pulse measurement.

Contribution

The work demonstrates a novel on-chip quadratically nonlinear photodetector with high responsivity and integrated all-optical signal mixing capabilities, advancing nonlinear photodetection technology.

Findings

Achieved high normalized responsivity of 37.1 A/W^2.

Implemented a 16-pixel array for on-chip autocorrelation.

Demonstrated precise picosecond pulse measurement.

Abstract

Involving deterministically nonlinear photoresponse in on-chip photodetector is intriguing to develop sophisticated functions in photonic integrated circuits, such as in-sensor computing and optoelectronic mixing, though the corresponding devices are still lack of sufficient investigation. Here, we demonstrate an on-chip quadratically nonlinear photodetector (QNPD) by configuring an InSe p-i-n homojunction on a silicon waveguide. Telecom-band light guiding in the waveguide couples with the InSe evanescently and is frequency up-converted into visible light via InSe's second-harmonic generation (SHG), which is subsequently absorbed by InSe and finally generates photocurrent under the built-in electric field of the p-i-n homojunction. Governed by these sequential processes, the on-chip QNPD presents a quadratic function between photocurrent and optical power. Thanks to the efficient SHG and well-established homojunction in InSe, the QNPD reaches a high normalized responsivity of 37.1 A/W2 and low dark current of 1 pA, representing greatly improved performances among reported nonlinear photodetectors. Benefiting from the extra SHG process, the on-chip QNPD intrinsically incorporates light-light interactions, enabling straightforwardly monitoring all-optically mixing signals electrically. As an example, an array of 16-pixel QNPDs was designed to implement a fully single-shot on-chip autocorrelator without requirement of bulky optics and external cameras, which precisely measures picosecond pulses with high sensitivity of 6.1*10-10 W2.