The use of light to channel signals around electronic chips could solve several current problems in microelectronic evolution including: power dissipation, interconnect bottlenecks, input/output from/to optical communication channels, poor signal bandwidth, etc. It is unfortunate that silicon is not a good photonic material: it has a poor light-emission efficiency and exhibits a negligible electro-optical effect. Silicon photonics is a field having the objective of improving the physical properties of silicon; thus turning it into a photonic material and permitting the full convergence of electronics and photonics.

The use of light to channel signals around electronic chips could solve several current problems in microelectronic evolution including: power dissipation, interconnect bottlenecks, input/output from/to optical communication channels, poor signal bandwidth, etc. It is unfortunate that silicon is not a good photonic material: it has a poor light-emission efficiency and exhibits a negligible electro-optical effect. Silicon photonics is a field having the objective of improving the physical properties of silicon; thus turning it into a photonic material and permitting the full convergence of electronics and photonics.

Photonics and electronics are endlessly converging into a single technology by exploiting the possibilities created by nanostructuring of materials and devices. It is expected that next-generation optoelectronic devices will show great improvements in terms of performance, flexibility, and energy consumption: the main limits of nanoelectronics will

Recent developments in the technology of silicon nanocrystals and silicon nanostructures, where quantum-size effects are important, are systematically described including examples of device applications. Due to the strong quantum confinement effect, the material properties are freed from the usual indirect- or direct-bandgap regime, and the optical, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties of these nanocrystalline and nanostructured semiconductors are drastically changed from those of bulk silicon. In addition to efficient visible luminescence, various other useful material functions are induced in nanocrystalline silicon and periodic silicon nanostructures. Some novel devices and applications, in fields such as photonics (electroluminescence diode, microcavity, and waveguide), electronics (single-electron device, spin transistor, nonvolatile memory, and ballistic electron emitter), acoustics, and biology, have been developed by the use of these quantum-induced functions in ways different from the conventional scaling principle for ULSI.

Metal Nanostructures for Photonics presents updates on the development of materials with enhanced optical properties and the demand for novel metal-dielectric nanocomposites and nanostructured materials. The book covers various aspects of metal-dielectric nanocomposites and metallic-nanostructures and illustrates techniques used to prepare and characterize materials and their physical properties. It focuses on three main sections, nanocomposites with enhanced luminescence properties due to contributions of metal nanoparticles hosted in photonic glasses, near and far-field optical phenomena, and the optical response of single nanoparticles that reveal quantum phenomena in the nanoscale, amongst other topics. This book will serve as an important research reference for materials scientists who want to learn more on how a range of metallic nanostructured materials are used in photonics. - Sets out the properties of a range of metal-dielectric nanostructures and nanocomposites, along with the use cases for each in photonics - Discusses the pros and cons of using different metallic nanostructures for different photonic applications - Includes case studies that illustrate how metallic nanostructures have successfully been applied in photonics

The theory and practice of the non-linear optics of silicon are inextricably linked with a variety of areas of solid state physics, particularly semiconductor physics. However, the current literature linking these fields is scattered across various sources and is lacking in depth. Second Order Non-linear Optics of Silicon and Silicon Nanostructures describes the physical properties of silicon as they apply to non-linear optics while also covering details of the physics of semiconductors. The book contains six chapters that focus on: The physical properties and linear optics of silicon Basic theoretical concepts of reflected second harmonics (RSH) The authors’ theory of the generation of RSH at the non-linear medium–linear medium interface An analytical review of work on the non-linear optics of silicon The results of non-linear optical studies of silicon nanostructures A theory of photoinduced electronic processes in semiconductors and their influence on RSH generation The book also includes methodological problems and a significant amount of reference data. It not only reflects the current state of research but also provides a single, thorough source of introductory information for those who are becoming familiar with non-linear optics. Second Order Non-linear Optics of Silicon and Silicon Nanostructures is a valuable contribution to the fields of non-linear optics, semiconductor physics, and microelectronics, as well as a useful resource for a wide range of readers, from undergraduates to researchers.

This unique collection of knowledge represents a comprehensive treatment of the fundamental and practical consequences of size reduction in silicon crystals. This clearly structured reference introduces readers to the optical, electrical and thermal properties of silicon nanocrystals that arise from their greatly reduced dimensions. It covers their synthesis and characterization from both chemical and physical viewpoints, including ion implantation, colloidal synthesis and vapor deposition methods. A major part of the text is devoted to applications in microelectronics as well as photonics and nanobiotechnology, making this of great interest to the high-tech industry.

Photonics is a key technology of this century. The combination of photonics and silicon technology is of great importance because of the potentiality of coupling electronics and optical functions on a single chip. Many experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to understand and design the photonic properties of silicon nanocrystals. Generation of light in silicon is a challenging perspective in the field; however, the issue of light-emitting devices does not limit the activity in the field. Research is also focused on light modulators, optical waveguides and interconnectors, optical amplifiers, detectors, memory elements, photonic crystals, etc. A particularly important task of silicon nanostructures is to generate electrical energy from solar light. Understanding the optical properties of silicon-based materials is central in designing photonic components. It is not possible to control the optical properties of nanoparticles without fundamental information on their microscopic structure, which explains a large number of theoretical works on this subject. Many fundamental and practical problems should be solved in order to develop this technology. In addition to open fundamental questions, it is even more difficult to develop the known experimental results towards practical realization. However, the world market for silicon photonics is expected to be huge; thus, more research activity in the field of silicon nanophotonics is expected in the future. This book describes different aspects of silicon nanophotonics, from fundamental issues to practical devices. The second edition is essentially different from the book published in 2008. Eight chapters of the first edition are not included in the new book, because the recent progress on those topics has not been large enough. Instead, seven new chapters appear. The other eight chapters are essentially modified to describe recent achievements in the field.

Discusses the basic physical principles underlying the science and technology of nanophotonics, its materials and structures This volume presents nanophotonic structures and Materials. Nanophotonics is photonic science and technology that utilizes light/matter interactions on the nanoscale where researchers are discovering new phenomena and developing techniques that go well beyond what is possible with conventional photonics and electronics.The topics discussed in this volume are: Cavity Photonics; Cold Atoms and Bose-Einstein Condensates; Displays; E-paper; Graphene; Integrated Photonics; Liquid Crystals; Metamaterials; Micro-and Nanostructure Fabrication; Nanomaterials; Nanotubes; Plasmonics; Quantum Dots; Spintronics; Thin Film Optics Comprehensive and accessible coverage of the whole of modern photonics Emphasizes processes and applications that specifically exploit photon attributes of light Deals with the rapidly advancing area of modern optics Chapters are written by top scientists in their field Written for the graduate level student in physical sciences; Industrial and academic researchers in photonics, graduate students in the area; College lecturers, educators, policymakers, consultants, Scientific and technical libraries, government laboratories, NIH.

This hands-on introduction to silicon photonics engineering equips students with everything they need to begin creating foundry-ready designs.