Eiichi Kuramochi

A new fabrication technique for photonic crystals: Nanolithography combined with alternating-layer deposition

We propose two photonic crystal structures that can be created by combining nanolithography with alternating-layer deposition. Photonic band calculations suggest that a drilled alternating-layer photonic crystal combining two-dimensional (2D) alternating multilayers and an array of vertically drilled holes may achieve a full photonic bandgap. In addition, a 3D/2D/3D cross-dimensional photonic crystal, which sandwiches a 2D photonic crystal slab between three-dimensional (3D) alternating-layer photonic crystals, should provide better vertical confinement of light than a conventional index guiding slab. Fabrication techniques based on existing technologies (electron beam lithography, bias sputtering, and low-pressure ECR etching) require very few process steps. Our preliminary fabrication suggests that, by refining these technologies, we will be able to realize photonic crystals.

Deep-subwavelength plasmonic mode converter with large size reduction for Si-wire waveguide

If we are to utilize deep-subwavelength plasmonic waveguides in photonic integrated circuit applications, highly efficient three-dimensional (3D) mode conversion must be achieved between deep-subwavelength plasmonic waveguides and conventional dielectric waveguides such as Si-wire waveguides. Here, we describe 3D mode conversion from a Si-wire waveguide (the core size is 400  nm×200  nm) to a plasmonic slot waveguide (the air core size is 50  nm×20  nm) with a coupling loss of 1.7 dB. Our mode converter has only a two-dimensional laterally tapered structure even with the presence of a large discontinuity in the thickness, and can still produce efficient full 3D mode conversion with a very short taper length (600 nm). Calculation results obtained with the finite element method agreed well with the experimental results. We believe our mode converter will provide a new deep-subwavelength photonic platform.

Coherent control of high efficiency metasurface beam deflectors with a back partial reflector

Recently, coherent control of absorption in metallic metasurfaces has been demonstrated, and this phenomenon was applied to intriguing light-by-light switching operation. Here we experimentally demonstrate coherent control of beam deflection by high-efficiency metasurfaces for the first time. Although the beam deflection efficiency by a metasurface is generally small, high-efficiency metasurfaces, which consist of a single layer metasurface with a back reflector, are known to exhibit significantly high deflection efficiency. A key point of our study is to replace the back reflector with a partial reflector instead, which enables light-by-light control of a high-efficiency metasurface with a pair of counter-propagating coherent beam inputs. By adjusting the partial reflector thickness appropriately, the proposed device outperforms ones without a reflector, especially for the deflection efficiency. We finally experimentally demonstrate the expected operation of the fabricated device at a visible wavelength,...

Introducing CdS into two- and three-dimensional photonic crystals

SiO2/air three-dimensional (3D) periodic structures were fabricated by removing Si layers partially from Si/SiO2 3D photonic crystals (PhCs) formed by using autocloning. CdS/SiO2 3D periodic structures were formed by introducing CdS into the SiO2/air structures by the TEA method and photoluminescence (PL) was observed from the introduced CdS. TiO2/air/CdS two-dimensional (2D) PhCs were also fabricated by introducing CdS into the voids of TiO2/air 2D periodic structures, in which SiO2 layers were partially etched out from TiO2/SiO2 2D PhCs fabricated by using autocloning. PL radiating normal to the surface was measured and large polarization dependence was observed.

Self-organized InGaAs quantum disk lasers

A self-organization phenomenon of a strained InGaAs/AlGaAs system on a GaAs(311)B substrate during metalorganic vapour-phase epitaxial growth is briefly described, and nanoscale confinement lasers with self-organized InGaAs quantum disks as active region are mentioned. Continuous-wave operation of strained InGaAs quantum disk lasers is achieved at room temperature. The threshold current is around 20 mA, which is considerably lower than that of a reference double-quantum-well laser on a GaAs(100) substrate grown side by side. However, the light output vs. the driving current exhibits a pronounced tendency towards saturation compared with that of the (100) quantum well laser.

Forward-biased nanophotonic detector for ultralow-energy dissipation receiver

Generally, reverse-biased photodetectors (PDs) are used for high-speed optical receivers. The forward voltage region is only utilized in solar-cells, and this photovoltaic operation would not be concurrently obtained with high efficiency and high speed operation. Here we report that photonic-crystal waveguide PDs enable forward-biased high-speed operation at 40 Gbit/s with keeping high responsivity (0.88 A/W). Within our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the forward-biased PDs with high responsivity. This achievement is attributed to the ultracompactness of our PD and the strong light confinement within the absorber and depleted regions, thereby enabling efficient photo-carrier generation and fast extraction. This result indicates that it is possible to construct a high-speed and ultracompact photo-receiver without an electrical amplifier nor an external bias circuit. Since there is no electrical energy required, our estimation shows that the consumption energy is just the optical energy of the injected signal pulse which is about 1 fJ/bit. Hence, it will lead to an ultimately efficient and highly integrable optical-to-electrical converter in a chip, which will be a key ingredient for dense nanophotonic communication and processors.Generally, reverse-biased photodetectors (PDs) are used for high-speed optical receivers. The forward voltage region is only utilized in solar-cells, and this photovoltaic operation would not be concurrently obtained with high efficiency and high speed operation. Here we report that photonic-crystal waveguide PDs enable forward-biased high-speed operation at 40 Gbit/s with keeping high responsivity (0.88 A/W). Within our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the forward-biased PDs with high responsivity. This achievement is attributed to the ultracompactness of our PD and the strong light confinement within the absorber and depleted regions, thereby enabling efficient photo-carrier generation and fast extraction. This result indicates that it is possible to construct a high-speed and ultracompact photo-receiver without an electrical amplifier nor an external bias circuit. Since there is no electrical energy required, our estimation shows that the consumption energy is just the optical energy of th...

Movable High-Q Nanocavity using III-V Nanowire on Silicon Photonic Crystals

High-Q nanocavity is created by putting III-V nanowires into the slot in silicon photonic crystals. We use quantum disk emission in nanowires to probe the cavity. The nanocavity is also moved by manipulating nanowire position.

Self-organized quantum disks for a two-state system

Abstract We mainly discuss the self-organization in a strained InGaAs/AlGaAs system on a GaAs(311)B surface. This self-organizing growth mode in metal–organic–vapor phase epitaxy automatically produces very small confined nanostructure of quantum disks during growth interruption under a high growth temperature. The micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL) and PL excitation spectroscopies exhibit very narrow excitonic emission and absorption lines. These results indicate that the self-organized quantum disk is a zero-dimensional nanostructure and discrete excitonic states in the zero-dimensional disk may be applicable to a two-state quantum system.