Abstract
We report on the observation of optical bistability in an integrated planar microresonator with embedded silicon nanocrystals (Si-ncs). The phenomenon originates from the thermo-optical modulation of the silica-embedded Si-ncs refractive index, which in turn alters the spectral position of the resonator mode. The estimated thermo-optical coefficient of the Si nanocrystalline material, , is an order of magnitude lower than that of bulk silicon. Both time-resolved pump-and-probe experiments and numerical simulations confirm that the silica host is responsible for the heat dissipation from the resonator. Moreover, a negligible -factor degradation at pump powers as high as 100 mW, along with the absence of a fast component in time-resolved measurements, confirm the minute contribution from excited carriers effects. These observations, combined with the already published large third-order nonlinearities of Si-ncs (an order of magnitude larger than in bulk Si), make this system an outstanding candidate for low-power on-chip nonlinear comb generation.
© 2013 Optical Society of America
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