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University Staff:
A/Prof. Jianhua Zhao (Group Leader: integrated LEDs)
Dr. Thorsten Trupke (Group Leader: silicon laser)
Prof. Martin Green
Prof. Stuart Wenham
Research Fellow:
Dr. Aihua Wang
Research Assistant:
Guangchun Zhang
Collaborators:
Prof. Peter Würfel, University of Karlsruhe
Dr. Otwin Breitenstein, Max Planck Institute, Halle
Dr. Pietro Altermatt, Australian National University
The Centre’s work in silicon photonics has two main thrusts.
The first is to demonstrate silicon light emitters that
can be integrated into silicon microelectronic circuits. The second
is to investigate the feasibility of innovative schemes for
demonstrating the first silicon laser. A range
of silicon optoelectronic characterisation activities underpin
both
these programs.
Radiative Recombination
Coefficient
Part of the work in the area of light emission from bulk silicon
is to theoretically describe and to understand the dependence of
the (external quantum efficiency) EQE on the excess carrier concentration
quantitatively. This requires the rate of radiative recombination
in silicon, which is described via the radiative recombination coefficient
B(T). This project began with an accurate determination of B(T)
since data found in the literature is very contradictory.
LED on SOI substrates
As part of the work on developing efficient light emitting diodes
(LEDs) on (silicon-on-insulator) SOI-wafers, lateral p-i-n LED structures
were designed and fabricated.
Inter-Conduction-Band
Transitions
The (photo-luminescence) PL of bulk crystalline silicon under
UV-excitation was measured as part of the research aimed at obtaining
laser light from silicon.
Lasing in Indirect Gap Semiconductors
Theoretical work at the Centre revisited the limitations on optical
gain in silicon. A generally accepted theoretical work on optical
transitions in indirect semiconductors for laser applications which
stated that optical gain is not possible in silicon was found to
be flawed by Centre researchers.
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