Solar-blind photonic integrated chips for real-time on-chip communication

Abstract

The monolithically integrated self-driven photoelectric detector (PD) with the light-emitting diode (LED) epitaxial structure completely relies on the built-in electric field in the multi-quantum wells region to separate the photogenerated carriers. Here, we propose a novel superlattices–electron barrier layer structure to expand the potential field region and enhance the detection capability of the integrated PD. The PD exhibits a record-breaking photo-to-dark current ratio of 5.14 × 107, responsivity of 110.3 A/W, and specific detectivity of 2.2 × 1013 Jones at 0 V bias, respectively. A clear open-eyed diagram of the monolithically integrated chip, including the PD, LED, and waveguide, is realized under a high-speed communication rate of 150 Mbps. The obtained transient response (rise/decay) time of 2.16/2.28 ns also illustrates the outstanding transient response capability of the integrated chip. The on-chip optical communication system is built to achieve the practical video signals transmission application, which is a formidable contender for the core module of future large-scale photonic integrated circuits.