2017/01/01 by Ivan Aldaya, Andrés Gil-Molina, Aldaya, Ivan +9 · 2 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic and Optical Devices #Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1707.07646
openalex publication_date 2017/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Carrier recombination dynamics in strip silicon nano-waveguides is analyzed through time-resolved pump-and-probe experiments, revealing a complex recombination dynamics at densities ranging from 1014 to 1017 cm-3. Our results show that the carrier lifetime varies as recombination evolves, with faster decay rates at the initial stages (with lifetime of ∼ 800 ps), and much slower lifetimes at later stages (up to ∼ 300 ns). We also observe experimentally the effect of trapping, manifesting as a decay curve highly dependent on the initial carrier density. We further demonstrate that operating at high carrier density can lead to faster recombination rates. Finally, we present a theoretical discussion based on trap-assisted recombination statistics applied to nano-waveguides. Our results can impact the dynamics of several nonlinear nanophotonic devices in which free-carriers play a critical role, and open further opportunities to enhance the performance of all-optical silicon-based devices based on carrier recombination engineering.