Light emission in silicon from carbon nanotubes

Advanced 1D heterostructures based on nanotube templates and molecules

Recent advancements in materials science have shed light on the potential of exploring hierarchical assemblies of molecules on surfaces, driven by both fundamental and applicative challenges. This field encompasses diverse areas including molecular storage, drug delivery, catalysis, and nanoscale chemical reactions. In this context, the utilization of nanotube templates (NTs) has emerged as promising platforms for achieving advanced one-dimensional (1D) molecular assemblies. NTs offer cylindrical, crystalline structures with high aspect ratios, capable of hosting molecules both externally and internally (Mol@NT). Furthermore, NTs possess a wide array of available diameters, providing tunability for tailored assembly. This review underscores recent breakthroughs in the field of Mol@NT. The first part focuses on the diverse panorama of structural properties in Mol@NT synthesized in the last decade. The advances in understanding encapsulation, adsorption, and ordering mechanisms are detailed. In a second part, the review highlights the physical interactions and photophysics properties of Mol@NT obtained by the confinement of molecules and nanotubes in the van der Waals distance regime. The last part of the review describes potential applicative fields of these 1D heterostructures, providing specific examples in photovoltaics, luminescent materials, and bio-imaging. A conclusion gathers current challenges and perspectives of the field to foster discussion in related communities.

Silicon Waveguide-Integrated Carbon Nanotube Photodetector with Low Dark Current and 48 GHz Bandwidth

Low-dimensional materials with excellent optoelectronic properties and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process compatibility have the potential to construct high-performance photodetectors used in a cost-efficient monolithic or hybrid integrated optical communication system. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted a lot of attention due to special geometric structure and broad band response, high optical absorption coefficient, ps-level intrinsic light response, high carrier mobility and wafer-scaled production process. Here, we demonstrated a high-performance waveguide-integrated CNT photodetector with asymmetric palladium (Pd) and hafnium (Hf) contact electrodes. The ideal photodetector structure was realized via comparing with simulation and experimental results, where the optimized device achieved a high 3 dB bandwidth ∼48 GHz at 0 V, as well as a responsivity ∼73.62 mA/W and dark current ∼0.157 μA at -2 V bias voltage. This waveguide-integrated CNT photodetector with low dark current and high bandwidth is helpful for next-generation optical communication and high-speed optical interconnects.

Monitoring molecular vibronic coherences in a bichromophoric molecule by ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy

The role of quantum-mechanical coherences in the elementary photophysics of functional optoelectronic molecular materials is currently under active study. Designing and controlling stable coherences arising from concerted vibronic dynamics in organic chromophores is the key for numerous applications. Here, we present fundamental insight into the energy transfer properties of a rigid synthetic heterodimer that has been experimentally engineered to study coherences. Quantum non-adiabatic excited state simulations are used to compute X-ray Raman signals, which are able to sensitively monitor the coherence evolution. Our results verify their vibronic nature, that survives multiple conical intersection passages for several hundred femtoseconds at room temperature. Despite the contributions of highly heterogeneous evolution pathways, the coherences are unambiguously visualized by the experimentally accessible X-ray signals. They offer direct information on the dynamics of electronic and structural degrees of freedom, paving the way for detailed coherence measurements in functional organic materials.

Silicon-Waveguide-Integrated Carbon Nanotube Optoelectronic System on a Single Chip

Monolithic optoelectronic integration based on a single material is a major pursuit in the fields of nanophotonics and nanoelectronics in order to meet the requirements of future fiber-optic telecommunication systems and on-chip optical interconnection systems. However, the incompatibility between silicon-based electronics and germanium or compound semiconductor-based photonics makes it very challenging to realize optoelectronic integration based on a single material. Here, the integration between silicon waveguides and a carbon nanotube (CNT) optoelectronic system is demonstrated. Waveguide-integrated photodetectors based on the CNT exhibit 12.5 mA/W photoresponsivity at 1530 nm, which presents an improvement of 97.6 times enhanced absorption efficiency compared to that without the waveguide. Multiplied output signals of cascading photodetectors are used to control the output of CNT-based logic gates, thereby demonstrating that the CNT-based optoelectronic integration system is compatible with silicon photonics. Our work indicates that carbon nanotubes have the potential for future integration between nanophotonics and nanoelectronics on a single chip.

Tailoring carbon nanotubes optical properties through chirality-wise silicon ring resonators

Semiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNT) have an immense potential for the development of active optoelectronic functionalities in ultra-compact hybrid photonic circuits. Specifically, s-SWNT have been identified as a very promising solution to implement light sources in the silicon photonics platform. Still, two major challenges remain to fully exploit the potential of this hybrid technology: the limited interaction between s-SWNTs and Si waveguides and the low quantum efficiency of s-SWNTs emission. Silicon micro-ring resonators have the potential capability to overcome these limitations, by providing enhanced light s-SWNT interaction through resonant light recirculation. Here, we demonstrate that Si ring resonators provide SWNT chirality-wise photoluminescence resonance enhancement, releasing a new degree of freedom to tailor s-SWNT optical properties. Specifically, we show that judicious design of the micro-ring geometry allows selectively promoting the emission enhancement of either (8,6) or (8,7) SWNT chiralities present in a high-purity polymer-sorted s-SWNT solution. In addition, we present an analysis of nanometric-sized silicon-on-insulator waveguides that predicts stronger light s-SWNT interaction for transverse-magnetic (TM) modes than for conventionally used transverse-electric (TE) modes.

Multi-exciton emission from solitary dopant states of carbon nanotubes

By separating the photons from slow and fast decays of single and multi-exciton states in a time gated 2^nd order photon correlation experiment, we show that solitary oxygen dopant states of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) allow emission of photon pairs with efficiencies as high as 44% of single exciton emission. Our pump dependent time resolved photoluminescence (PL) studies further reveal diffusion-limited exciton-exciton annihilation as the key process that limits the emission of multi-excitons at high pump fluences. We further postulate that creation of additional permanent exciton quenching sites occurring under intense laser irradiation leads to permanent PL quenching. With this work, we bring out multi-excitonic processes of solitary dopant states as a new area to be explored for potential applications in lasing and entangled photon generation.

Narrow-linewidth carbon nanotube emission in silicon hollow-core photonic crystal cavity

Polymer-sorted semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) provide room-temperature emission at near-infrared wavelengths, with potential for large volume production of high-quality solutions and wafer-scale deposition. These features make SWNTs a very attractive material for the realization of on-chip light sources. Coupling SWNT into optical microcavities could enhance and guide their emission, while enabling spectral selection by cavity resonance engineering. This could allow the realization of bright, narrowband sources. Here, we report the first demonstration of coupling SWNTs into the resonant modes of Si hollow-core photonic crystal cavities. We exploit the strong evanescent field in these resonators to interact with SWNT emission, coupling it into an integrated access waveguide. Based on this concept, we demonstrate narrowband SWNT emission resonantly coupled into a Si bus waveguide with a full width at half-maximum of 0.34 nm and an off-resonance rejection exceeding 5 dB.

Photon-Pair Generation with a 100 nm Thick Carbon Nanotube Film

Nonlinear optics based on bulk materials is the current technique of choice for quantum-state generation and information processing. Scaling of nonlinear optical quantum devices is of significant interest to enable quantum devices with high performance. However, it is challenging to scale the nonlinear optical devices down to the nanoscale dimension due to relatively small nonlinear optical response of traditional bulk materials. Here, correlated photon pairs are generated in the nanometer scale using a nonlinear optical device for the first time. The approach uses spontaneous four-wave mixing in a carbon nanotube film with extremely large Kerr-nonlinearity (≈100 000 times larger than that of the widely used silica), which is achieved through careful control of the tube diameter during the carbon nanotube growth. Photon pairs with a coincidence to accidental ratio of 18 at the telecom wavelength of 1.5 µm are generated at room temperature in a ≈100 nm thick carbon nanotube film device, i.e., 1000 times thinner than the smallest existing devices. These results are promising for future integrated nonlinear quantum devices (e.g., quantum emission and processing devices).

Sub-nanosecond light-pulse generation with waveguide-coupled carbon nanotube transducers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have recently been integrated into optical waveguides and operated as electrically-driven light emitters under constant electrical bias. Such devices are of interest for the conversion of fast electrical signals into optical ones within a nanophotonic circuit. Here, we demonstrate that waveguide-integrated single-walled CNTs are promising high-speed transducers for light-pulse generation in the gigahertz range. Using a scalable fabrication approach we realize hybrid CNT-based nanophotonic devices, which generate optical pulse trains in the range from 200 kHz to 2 GHz with decay times below 80 ps. Our results illustrate the potential of CNTs for hybrid optoelectronic systems and nanoscale on-chip light sources.

Directional couplers with integrated carbon nanotube incandescent light emitters

We combine on-chip single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) emitters with directional coupling devices as fundamental building blocks for carbon photonic systems. These devices are essential for studying the emission properties of SWNTs in the few photon regime for future applications in on-chip quantum photonics. The combination of SWNTs with on-chip beam splitters herein provides the basis for correlation measurements as necessary for nanoscale source characterization. The employed fabrication methods are fully scalable and thus allow for implementing a multitude of functional and active circuits in a single fabrication run. Our metallic SWNT emitters are broadband and cover both visible and near-infrared wavelengths, thus holding promise for emerging hybrid optoelectronic devices with fast reconfiguration times.

Guided Photoluminescence from Integrated Carbon-Nanotube-Based Optical Waveguides

Thin films and ridge waveguides based on large-diameter semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) dispersed in a polyfluorene derivative are fabricated and optically characterized. Ridge waveguides are designed with appropriate dimensions for single-mode propagation at 1550 nm. Using multimode ridge waveguides, guided s-SWCNT photoluminescence is demonstrated for the first time in the near-infrared telecommunications window.

Enhanced light emission from carbon nanotubes integrated in silicon micro-resonator

Single-walled carbon nanotubes are considered a fascinating nanomaterial for photonic applications and are especially promising for efficient light emitters in the telecommunication wavelength range. Furthermore, their hybrid integration with silicon photonic structures makes them an ideal platform to explore their intrinsic properties. Here we report on the strong photoluminescence enhancement from carbon nanotubes integrated in silicon ring resonator circuits under two pumping configurations: surface-illuminated pumping at 735 nm and collinear pumping at 1.26 μm. Extremely efficient rejection of the non-resonant photoluminescence was obtained. In the collinear approach, an emission efficiency enhancement by a factor of 26 has been demonstrated in comparison with the classical pumping scheme. This demonstration paves the way for the development of integrated light sources in silicon based on carbon nanotubes.

Optical modulation of waveguiding in spiropyran-functionalized polydiacetylene microtube

Optical modulation of waveguiding and logic operations play significant roles in highly integrated optical communication components, optical computing, and photonic circuits. Herein, we designed and synthesized spiropyran-functionalized polydiacetylene (SFPDA) microtubes, and realized reversible optical modulation of waveguiding in SFPDA microtubes through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the PDA matrix and spiropyran in open merocyanine (MC) form within the surface of the microtubes. Because of the reversible isomerization characteristics of spiropyran units, we have realized resettable, multireadout logic system that includes OR and INHIBIT logic operations in SFPDA microtube.

Waveguide-integrated light-emitting carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate how light from an electrically driven carbon nanotube can be coupled directly into a photonic waveguide architecture. Waferscale, broadband sources are realized integrated with nanophotonic circuits allowing for propagation of light over centimeter distances. Moreover, we show that the spectral properties of the emitter can be controlled directly on chip with passive devices using Mach-Zehnder interfero-meters and grating structures.

Controlling carbon nanotube photoluminescence using silicon microring resonators

We report on coupling between semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWNT) photoluminescence and silicon microring resonators. Polyfluorene extracted s-SWNT deposited on such resonators exhibit sharp emission peaks, due to interaction with the cavity modes of the microring resonators. Ring resonators with radius of 5 μm and 10 μm were used, reaching quality factors up to 4000 in emission. These are among the highest values reported for carbon nanotubes coupled with an integrated cavity on silicon platform, which open up the possibility to build s-SWNT based efficient light source on silicon.

Spaser made of graphene and carbon nanotubes

Spaser is a nanoscale source of surface plasmons comprising a plasmonic resonator and gain medium to replenish energy losses. Here we propose a carbon-based spaser design in which a graphene nanoflake (GNF) resonator is coupled to a carbon nanotube (CNT) gain element. We theoretically demonstrate that the optically excited CNT can nonradiatively transfer its energy to the localized plasmon modes of the GNF because of the near-field interaction between the modes and the CNT excitons. By calculating the localized fields of the plasmon modes and the matrix elements of the plasmon-exciton interaction, we find the optimal geometric and material parameters of the spaser that yield the highest plasmon generation rate. The results obtained may prove useful in designing robust and ultracompact coherent sources of surface plasmons for plasmonic nanocircuits.

In-plane remote photoluminescence excitation of carbon nanotube by propagating surface plasmon

In this work, we demonstrate propagating surface plasmon polariton (SPP) coupled photoluminescence (PL) excitation of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). SPPs were launched at a few micrometers from individually marked SWNT, and plasmon-coupled PL was recorded to determine the efficiency of this remote in-plane addressing scheme. The efficiency depends upon the following factors: (i) longitudinal and transverse distances between the SPP launching site and the location of the SWNT and (ii) orientation of the SWNT with respect to the plasmon propagation wave vector (k(SPP)). Our experiment explores the possible integration of carbon nanotubes as a plasmon sensor in plasmonic and nanophotonic devices.