Browsing by Subject "Optoelectronic devices."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Open Access
Design of compact optical devices based on periodic meta-structures
(2013) Akosman, Ahmet Emin
Manipulation of the flow of light is demanded for several applications such as communication, data storage, sensor, photovoltaic cells, microscopy, lasers and light emitting diodes for the purpose of designing compact, high-throughput and high efficiency optical devices. Nevertheless, the control of the propagation of the light becomes much harder in devices with smaller geometries mostly because of diffractions, loss mechanisms and fabrication difficulties. Furthermore, materials that are already available in the nature do not provide unprecedented optical properties for nanoscale optical applications. Due to this fact that fabrication of artificial materials is needed for utilizing novel and intriguing optical devices. For this purpose, some relatively new research fields have emerged like photonic crystals, metamaterials and high contrast gratings. We propose several designs based on aforementioned meta-structures to achieve compact and practically realizable optical devices. We presented compact optical demultiplexer, diode-like device and electro-optic modulator designs that are based on photonic crystals. We also proposed two circular polarizer designs based on metamaterials and high contrast gratings. Further, we investigated unidirectional transmission and polarization manipulation properties in chiral metamaterials. For most of the proposed designs, we also experimentally verified the numerical and theoretical findings. In conclusion, we can claim that the utilization of artifically structured materials give opportunity to realize the control of light much more easily in nanoscale designs.
Open Access
The Examination of the effect of polarization on the radiation losses of bent optical fibers
(1990) Tanyer, Süleyman Gökhun
It has long been recognized that the bending losses in weakly guiding optical fibers, is independent of the polarization for large bend radius. We showed this fact using the volume equivalent current method. The procedure is then applied to a helically bent fiber, and it is shown that the radiation from the helical fiber is also independent of the polarization as long as the fiber is weakly guiding.
Open Access
Germanium alloys for optoelectronic devices
(2008) Erbil, Ayşe
Silicon has been the backbone of the mainstream electronics of the last fifty years. It is however, used in conjunction with other matierals, mainly with its oxides and nitrides. Germanium, on the other hand, is also a group IV element and has been used in the early stages of transistor and detector development. In addition to Si/Ge heterojunctions, bandgap engineering through SiGe alloys has also been used in photodetectors. Recent progress in light emitting devices utilizing Si nanocrystals suggest the use of Ge1-xNx layers as barriers due to its suitable band offsets [1]. Experiments have shown that Ge1-xNx is also a promising material for applications in photodiodes, amplifiers, optic fibers, protective coatings, etc [1]. Both Si and Ge are, however indirect bandgap semiconductors, lacking efficient light emission. On the other hand, strong light emission observed in Si nanocrystals has made the study of semiconductor nanocrystals an expanding field of interest due to potential applications in novel optoelectronic devices [2]. These nanocrystals exhibit strong luminescence and nonlinear optical properties that usually do not appear in the bulk materials [2]. SiGe nanocrystals attract attention due to the possibility of a tunable band gap with composition. In this study, formation of Ge1-xNx thin films and SiGe nanocrystals by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reactor has been studied. We present the growth conditions and experimental characterization of the resulting thin films and nanocrystals. We used ellipsometry, Raman Spectrometry, Fourier Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). For SiGe nanocrystals, 4 peaks in the Raman Spectra were observed around 295 cm-1, 400 cm -1, 485 cm-1 and 521 cm-1. These peaks are assigned to the Ge-Ge, Si-Ge, local Si-Si and crystalline Si-Si vibrational modes, respectively [3]. For the Ge1-xNx thin films FTIR spectrum showed the existence of the Ge-N bonds and its band offsets determined by XPS confirm its suitability for optoelectronic devices.
Open Access
InGaN/GaN quantum electroabsorption modulators with record breaking electroabsorption in blue
(2007) Sarı, Emre
Open Access
Long wavelength GaAs based hot electron photoemission detectors
(1999) Kimukin, İbrahim
The increasing rate of telecommunication alters both science and technology, and demands high performance components. Photo detectors are essential components of optoelectronic integrated circuits and fiber optic communication systems. A new family of photodetectors offer high performance along with wavelength selectivity: resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetectors. In this thesis, we present our efforts for design, fabrication and characterization of GaAs/AIGaAs based Schottky photodetectors operating within the first (850 nm) and second (1300 nm) optical communication windows. Epitaxial wafers are designed using transfer matrix method based simulation and are grown with molecular beam epitaxy. The photodetector operating at 840 nm was designed with indium tin oxide (IT O ) Schottky layer for high quantum efficiency. The second photodetector is based on internal photoemission, and is compatible with advanced GaAs process technology. Our aim with this design is high speed operation at the second optical communication window. We measured 20 GHz 3-dB bandwidth with 60% quantum efficiency at 840 nm. We expect 50 GHz 3-dB bandwidth with 0.05% quantum efficiency at 1310 nm
Open Access
Novel ultraviolet scintillators based on semiconductor quantum dot emitters for significantly enhanced photodetection and photovoltaics
(2007) Mutlugün, Evren
Silicon photonics opens opportunities to realize optoelectronic devices directly on large-scale integrated electronics, leveraging advanced Si fabrication and computation capabilities. However, silicon is constrained in different aspects for use in optoelectronics. Such one limitation is observed in Si based photodetectors, cameras, and solar cells that exhibit very poor responsivity in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range. Si CMOS photodetectors and CCD cameras cannot be operated in UV, despite the strong demand for UV detection and imaging in security applications. Also, although 95% of the photovoltaics market is dominated by Si based solar cells, silicon is not capable of using UV radiation of the solar spectrum for solar energy conversion, as required especially in space applications. In this thesis for the first time, we demonstrate novel UV scintillators made of semiconductor quantum dot emitters hybridized on Si detectors and cameras to detect and image in UV with significantly improved responsivity and on Si solar cells to generate electrical energy from UV radiation with significantly improved solar conversion efficiency. We present the device conception, design, fabrication, experimental characterization, and theoretical analysis of these UV nanocrystal scintillators. Integrating highly luminescent CdSe/ZnS core-shell nanocrystals, we demonstrate hybrid photodetectors that exhibit two-orders-of-magnitude peak enhancement in their responsivity. We also develop photovoltaic nanocrystal scintillators to enhance open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, fill factor, and solar conversion efficiency in UV. Hybridizing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots on Si photovoltaic devices, we show that the solar conversion efficiency is doubled under white light illumination (Xe lamp). Such UV scintillator nanocrystals hold great promise to enable photodetection and imaging in UV and extend photovoltaic activity to UV.
Open Access
Silicon Germanium multi quantum wells for high efficiency optoelectronic devices
(2011) Yeşilyurt, Alper