Title: Integrated Photonics for Chip-scale Mid-Infrared Sources and Strain Modulation of Two-dimensional Materials
Description: Silicon photonics has been widely recognized as a key technology that enables guiding, modulating, detecting, and computing of light in silicon chips. Photonic chips can be fabricated in a similar fashion as microelectronic chips, leveraging the mature CMOS fabrication and metrology infrastructure. Extending this technology, this dissertation focuses on two different areas : silicon microresonator-based mid-infrared light sources, and efficient strain engineering of the bandgap of two-dimensional materials. First, we review the basic theory of waveguides and ring resonators, laying the groundwork for the rest of the dissertation. Second, nonlinear optics is introduced with an emphasis on third order nonlinear phenomena including four wave mixing, the basis for Kerr frequency comb generation. Third, starting with the basic theory of lasers, we present the basic principles of quantum well lasers, leading to the discussion of quantum and interband cascade lasers. Fourth, we demonstrate a simple approach to generate mid-infrared frequency comb using a passive high-Q microresonator as well as an over one million quality factor silicon microresonator at 4.5 ?m.

The novel suspended inverse taper with sub-3dB coupling loss is reported. Fifth, we demonstrate a compact narrow-linewidth widely-tunable mid-infrared laser using a high-Q external on-chip cavity. Lastly, we demonstrate highly efficient modulation of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers (TMD) monolayers as well as TMD monolayer integrated on a silicon nitride waveguide. Additionally, we present a heterogeneous integration platform based on a thin polymer, which allows bonding as well as in principle, evanescent coupling between the two substrates.