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PhD Research Project: Nonlinear frequency conversion in Gallium phosphide microdisks on silicon

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
France
Closing date
Jun 1, 2018

Job Details

A 36 months duration PhD will start at « Institut FOTON », on nonlinear optical experiments on Gallium phosphide microdisks grown on silicon. The main objective of the project is to demonstrate an on-chip broadband optical parametric oscillator (OPO) by use of random-quasi-phase-matching in these devices.

 

PhD context

Second order nonlinear devices are at the basis of many present and future photonic applications, from modulation and frequency conversion to entanglement and quantum computing. The research community is thus constantly looking for materials presenting both great optical performances and simple fabrication, processing and integration possibilities. One of the short term goals is in particular to scale down actual nonlinear functionalities to the photonic chip, for applications in data-processing and sensing. The recourse to resonant devices such as microdisk optical resonators is a promising route to achieve this goal while preserving large frequency conversion efficiencies.

In this framework, gallium phosphide (GaP) has recently been presented as a promising material for such integrated devices. In the field of nonlinear optics, the advantages of GaP are known for long: it features a wide and indirect band-gap, limiting optical losses in a large optical and radiofrequency bandwidth and its nonlinear properties are good in comparison to other nonlinear materials such as LiNbO3. Beyond this, when GaP is grown on silicon, it features a specific crystal ordering that could relax the phase matching condition of nonlinear processes. The goal of this PhD is to explore the nonlinear optical properties of GaP/Si microdisk optical resonators in the χ(2) regime, both theoretically and experimentally. Different processes will be investigated from second harmonic generation to parametric amplification and down conversion.
 
 

About Institut FOTON laboratory

FOTON is a joint research unit of INSA engineering school, Rennes 1 University and the CNRS. The PhD will take place in the SP (Photonic Systems) research group in Lannion, where state of the art experiments on photonic components are currently developed. The PhD student will work on a dedicated setup in order to characterize the optical properties of GaP/Si microdisks  and perform the first nonlinear frequency conversion in these structures. The photonic devices are fabricated in the OHM research group (Optoelectronics Heteroepitaxy and Materials), located in Rennes (France), and gathering facilities in semiconductor growth (MBE) and technological processing (cleanroom) through the NanoRennes technological platform (“Proximity platform” of the CNRS).
 
FOTON has a unique and long expertise in the growth and characterization of III-V semiconductors on silicon as well as on the optics of optical microresonators. Our work on GaP/Si microdisks started in 2013.
 
 

PhD objectives

The PhD student will take charge of the optical setup for the investigation of the microdisks realized in OHM. At the beginning of the PhD, the optical coupling to microdisks will be obtained using dimpled tapered fibers that will be fabricated by the PhD student. He/she will be responsible for the setup modification associated to our progresses on the photonic integration of the structures. The optical experiments on microdisks will consist first of measuring the linear optical properties of GaP/Si microdisks in different wavelength ranges. Then different 2nd order processes will be investigated, starting from second harmonic generation to more complex OPO processes. The theoretical framework of these processes will also be developed by the PhD student, in particular to predict the microdisk geometry suited to a given nonlinear process. The PhD will thus participate to the design of the future samples.

Company

Global Academy Jobs works with over 250 universities worldwide to promote academic mobility and international research collaboration. Global problems need international solutions. Our jobs board and emails reach the academics and researchers who can help.

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