Publications

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The next generation 850 nm datacom VCSEL to go into production will be the 17 G VCSEL. It is not certain that direct modulation will be suitable given the reliability, supply voltage, and temperature range required. This paper is a first look at VCSELs designed and targeted for production 17 G use. The design is discussed and LIV and small signal frequency response is presented. © 2008 Optical Society of America.

This report summarizes a 3-month program that explored the potential areas of impact for electronic/photonic integration technologies, as applied to next-generation data processing systems operating within 100+ Gb/s optical networks. The study included a technology review that targeted three key functions of data processing systems, namely receive/demultiplexing/clock recovery, data processing, and transmit/multiplexing. Various technical approaches were described and evaluated. In addition, we initiated the development of high-speed photodetectors and hybrid integration processes, two key elements of an ultrafast data processor. Relevant experimental results are described herein.

Advanced optically-activated solid-state electrical switch development at Sandia has demonstrated multi-kA/kV switching and the path for scalability to even higher current/power. Realization of this potential requires development of new optical sources/switches based on key Sandia photonic device technologies: vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) devices. The key to increasing the switching capacity of PCSS devices to 5kV/5kA and higher is to distribute the current in multiple parallel line filaments triggered by an array of high-brightness line-shaped illuminators. Commercial mechanically-stacked edge-emitting lasers have been used to trigger multiple filaments, but they are difficult to scale and manufacture with the required uniformity. In VCSEL arrays, adjacent lasers utilize identical semiconductor material and are lithographically patterned to the required dimensions. We have demonstrated multiple-line filament triggering using VCSEL arrays to approximate line generation. These arrays of uncoupled circular-aperture VCSELs have fill factors ranging from 2% to 30%. Using these arrays, we have developed a better understanding of the illumination requirements for stable triggering of multiple-filament PCSS devices. Photoconductive semiconductor switch (PCSS) devices offer advantages of high voltage operation (multi-kV), optical isolation, triggering with laser pulses that cannot occur accidentally in nature, low cost, high speed, small size, and radiation hardness. PCSS devices are candidates for an assortment of potential applications that require multi-kA switching of current. The key to increasing the switching capacity of PCSS devices to 5kV/5kA and higher is to distribute the current in multiple parallel line filaments triggered by an array of high-brightness line-shaped illuminators. Commercial mechanically-stacked edge-emitting lasers have been demonstrated to trigger multiple filaments, but they are difficult to scale and manufacture with the required uniformity. As a promising alternative to multiple discrete edge-emitting lasers, a single wafer of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) can be lithographically patterned to achieve the desired layout of parallel line-shaped emitters, in which adjacent lasers utilize identical semiconductor material and thereby achieve a degree of intrinsic optical uniformity. Under this LDRD project, we have fabricated arrays of uncoupled circular-aperture VCSELs to approximate a line-shaped illumination pattern, achieving optical fill factors ranging from 2% to 30%. We have applied these VCSEL arrays to demonstrate single and dual parallel line-filament triggering of PCSS devices. Moreover, we have developed a better understanding of the illumination requirements for stable triggering of multiple-filament PCSS devices using VCSEL arrays. We have found that reliable triggering of multiple filaments requires matching of the turn-on time of adjacent VCSEL line-shaped-arrays to within approximately 1 ns. Additionally, we discovered that reliable triggering of PCSS devices at low voltages requires more optical power than we obtained with our first generation of VCSEL arrays. A second generation of higher-power VCSEL arrays was designed and fabricated at the end of this LDRD project, and testing with PCSS devices is currently underway (as of September 2008).

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This work utilized advanced engineering in several fields to find solutions to the challenges presented by the integration of MEMS/NEMS with optoelectronics to realize a compact sensor system, comprised of a microfabricated sensor, VCSEL, and photodiode. By utilizing microfabrication techniques in the realization of the MEMS/NEMS component, the VCSEL and the photodiode, the system would be small in size and require less power than a macro-sized component. The work focused on two technologies, accelerometers and microphones, leveraged from other LDRD programs. The first technology was the nano-g accelerometer using a nanophotonic motion detection system (67023). This accelerometer had measured sensitivity of approximately 10 nano-g. The Integrated NEMS and optoelectronics LDRD supported the nano-g accelerometer LDRD by providing advanced designs for the accelerometers, packaging, and a detection scheme to encapsulate the accelerometer, furthering the testing capabilities beyond bench-top tests. A fully packaged and tested die was never realized, but significant packaging issues were addressed and many resolved. The second technology supported by this work was the ultrasensitive directional microphone arrays for military operations in urban terrain and future combat systems (93518). This application utilized a diffraction-based sensing technique with different optical component placement and a different detection scheme from the nano-g accelerometer. The Integrated NEMS LDRD supported the microphone array LDRD by providing custom designs, VCSELs, and measurement techniques to accelerometers that were fabricated from the same operational principles as the microphones, but contain proof masses for acceleration transduction. These devices were packaged at the end of the work.

A previous LDRD studying radiation hardened optoelectronic components for space-based applications led to the result that increased neutron irradiation from a fast-burst reactor caused increased responsivity in GaAs photodiodes up to a total fluence of 4.4 x 10{sup 13} neutrons/cm{sup 2} (1 MeV Eq., Si). The silicon photodiodes experienced significant degradation. Scientific literature shows that neutrons can both cause defects as well as potentially remove defects in an annealing-like process in GaAs. Though there has been some modeling that suggests how fabrication and radiation-induced defects can migrate to surfaces and interfaces in GaAs and lead to an ordering effect, it is important to consider how these processes affect the performance of devices, such as the basic GaAs p-i-n photodiode. In this LDRD, we manufactured GaAs photodiodes at the MESA facility, irradiated them with electrons and neutrons at the White Sands Missile Range Linac and Fast Burst Reactor, and performed measurements to show the effect of irradiation on dark current, responsivity and high-speed bandwidth.

We demonstrate high-speed switching of a symmetric self-electrooptic effect device (S-SEED) operating at 1550 nm. Transitions faster than 10 ps are observed, verifying the suitability of this technology for integrated logic operations beyond 40 GHz. © 2008 Optical Society of America.

We present the results of a three year LDRD project which has focused on the development of novel, compact, ultraviolet solid-state sources and fluorescence-based sensing platforms that apply such devices to the sensing of biological and nuclear materials. We describe our development of 270-280 nm AlGaN-based semiconductor UV LEDs with performance suitable for evaluation in biosensor platforms as well as our development efforts towards the realization of a 340 nm AlGaN-based laser diode technology. We further review our sensor development efforts, including evaluation of the efficacy of using modulated LED excitation and phase sensitive detection techniques for fluorescence detection of bio molecules and uranyl-containing compounds.

The authors have developed a chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) for applications requiring atomic timing accuracy in portable battery-powered applications. At PTTI/FCS 2005, they reported on the demonstration of a prototype CSAC, with an overall size of 10 cm{sup 3}, power consumption > 150 mW, and short-term stability sy(t) < 1 x 10-9t-1/2. Since that report, they have completed the development of the CSAC, including provision for autonomous lock acquisition and a calibrated output at 10.0 MHz, in addition to modifications to the physics package and system architecture to improve performance and manufacturability.

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Acoustic sensing systems are critical elements in detection of sniper events. The microphones developed in this project enable unique sensing systems that benefit significantly from the enhanced sensitivity and extremely compact foot-print. Surface and bulk micromachining technologies developed at Sandia have allowed the design, fabrication and characterization of these unique sensors. We have demonstrated sensitivity that is only available in 1/2 inch to 1 inch studio reference microphones--with our devices that have only 1 to 2mm diameter membranes in a volume less than 1cm{sup 3}.

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Sandia National Laboratories and Mytek, LLC have collaborated to develop a monolithically-integrated vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) assembly with controllable polarization states suitable for use in chip-scale atomic clocks. During the course of this work, a robust technique to provide polarization control was modeled and demonstrated. The technique uses deeply-etched surface gratings oriented at several different rotational angles to provide VCSEL polarization stability. A rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) model was used to optimize the design for high polarization selectivity and fabrication tolerance. The new approach to VCSEL polarization control may be useful in a number of defense and commercial applications, including chip-scale atomic clocks and other low-power atomic sensors.

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In this paper, we evaluate a commercially available high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) process to grow low temperature (i.e., Tin-situ & Tepitaxy < ∼460°C) germanium epitaxy for a p+-Ge/p-Si/n+-Si NIR separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodetectors (SAM-APD). A primary concern for SAM-APDs in this material system is that high fields will not be sustainable across a highly defective Ge/Si interface. We show Ge-Si SAM-APDs that show avalanche multiplication and avalanche breakdown. A dark current of ∼0.1 mA/cm2 and a 3.2×10-4 A/W responsivity at 1310 nm were measured at punch-through. An over 400x photocurrent multiplication was demonstrated at room temperature. These results indicate that high avalanche multiplication gain is achievable in these Ge/Si heterostructures despite the highly defective interface and therefore trap assisted tunneling through the defective Ge/Si interface is not dominant at high fields. © 2007 Materials Research Society.

We demonstrate a robust approach to VCSEL polarization control using deeply-etched surface gratings oriented at several different rotational angles. A RCWA model is used to optimize the design for high polarization selectivity and fabrication tolerance. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

The key need that this project has addressed is a short-wave infrared light detector for ranging (LIDAR) imaging at temperatures greater than 100K, as desired by nonproliferation and work for other customers. Several novel device structures to improve avalanche photodiodes (APDs) were fabricated to achieve the desired APD performance. A primary challenge to achieving high sensitivity APDs at 1550 nm is that the small band-gap materials (e.g., InGaAs or Ge) necessary to detect low-energy photons exhibit higher dark counts and higher multiplication noise compared to materials like silicon. To overcome these historical problems APDs were designed and fabricated using separate absorption and multiplication (SAM) regions. The absorption regions used (InGaAs or Ge) to leverage these materials 1550 nm sensitivity. Geiger mode detection was chosen to circumvent gain noise issues in the III-V and Ge multiplication regions, while a novel Ge/Si device was built to examine the utility of transferring photoelectrons in a silicon multiplication region. Silicon is known to have very good analog and GM multiplication properties. The proposed devices represented a high-risk for high-reward approach. Therefore one primary goal of this work was to experimentally resolve uncertainty about the novel APD structures. This work specifically examined three different designs. An InGaAs/InAlAs Geiger mode (GM) structure was proposed for the superior multiplication properties of the InAlAs. The hypothesis to be tested in this structure was whether InAlAs really presented an advantage in GM. A Ge/Si SAM was proposed representing the best possible multiplication material (i.e., silicon), however, significant uncertainty existed about both the Ge material quality and the ability to transfer photoelectrons across the Ge/Si interface. Finally a third pure germanium GM structure was proposed because bulk germanium has been reported to have better dark count properties. However, significant uncertainty existed about the quantum efficiency at 1550 nm the necessary operating temperature. This project has resulted in several conclusions after fabrication and measurement of the proposed structures. We have successfully demonstrated the Ge/Si proof-of-concept in producing high analog gain in a silicon region while absorbing in a Ge region. This has included significant Ge processing infrastructure development at Sandia. However, sensitivity is limited at low temperatures due to high dark currents that we ascribe to tunneling. This leaves remaining uncertainty about whether this structure can achieve the desired performance with further development. GM detection in InGaAs/InAlAs, Ge/Si, Si and pure Ge devices fabricated at Sandia was shown to overcome gain noise challenges, which represents critical learning that will enable Sandia to respond to future single photon detection needs. However, challenges to the operation of these devices in GM remain. The InAlAs multiplication region was not found to be significantly superior to current InP regions for GM, however, improved multiplication region design of InGaAs/InP APDs has been highlighted. For Ge GM detectors it still remains unclear whether an optimal trade-off of parameters can achieve the necessary sensitivity at 1550 nm. To further examine these remaining questions, as well as other application spaces for these technologies, funding for an Intelligence Community post-doc was awarded this year.

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Optical lime-domain reflectometry (OTDR) is an effeclive technique for locating faults in fiber communication links. The fact that most OTDR measurements are performed manually is a significant drawback, because it makes them too costly for use in many short-distance networks and too slow for use in military avionic platforms. Here we describe and demonstrate an automated, low-cost, real-time approach to fault monitoring that can be achieved by integrating OTDR functionality directly into VCSEL-based transceivers. This built-in test capability is straightforward to implement and relevant to both multimode and single mode networks. In-situ OTDR uses the transmitter VCSEL already present in data transceivers. Fault monitoring is performed by emitting a brief optical pulse into the fiber and then turning the VCSEL off. If a fault exists, a portion of the optical pulse returns to the transceiver after a time equal to the round-trip delay through the fiber. In multimode OTDR, the signal is detected by an integrated photodetector, while in single mode OTDR the VCSEL itself can be used as a detector. Modified driver electronics perform the measurement and analysis. We demonstrate that VCSEL-based OTDR has sufficient sensitivity to determine the location of most faults commonly seen in short-haul networks (i.e., the Fresnel reflections from improperly terminated fibers and scattering from raggedly-broken fibers). Results are described for single mode and multimode experiments, at both 850 nm and 1.3 μm. We discuss the resolution and sensitivity that have been achieved, as well as expected limitations for this novel approach to network monitoring.