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In the last two decades, there has been growing interest in silicon-based photonic devices for many optical applications: telecommunications, interconnects and biosensors. In this work, an advance overview of our results in this field is presented. Proposed devices allow overcoming silicon intrinsic drawbacks limiting its application as a photonic substrate. Taking advantages of both non-linear and linear effects, size reduction at nanometric scale and new two-dimensional emerging materials, we have obtained a progressive increase in device performance along the last years. In this work we show that a suitable design of a thin photonic crystal slab realized in silicon nitride can exhibit a very strong field enhancement. This result is very promising for all photonic silicon devices based on nonlinear phenomena. Moreover we report on the fabrication and characterization of silicon photodetectors working at near-infrared wavelengths based on the internal photoemission absorption in a Schottky junction. We show as an increase in device performance can be obtained by coupling light into both micro-resonant cavity and waveguiding structures. In addition, replacing metal with graphene in a Schottky junction, a further improve in PD performance can be achieved. Finally, silicon-based microarray for biomedical applications, are reported. Microarray of porous silicon Bragg reflectors on a crystalline silicon substrate have been realized using a technological process based on standard photolithography and electrochemical anodization of the silicon. Our insights show that silicon is a promising platform for the integration of various optical functionalities on the same chip opening new frontiers in the field of low-cost silicon micro and nanophotonics.

In this paper, a new kind of approach to reveal the presence of well-defined impurities in isotropic materials is proposed and verified against actual measurements over real samples. The rationale lies in the different polarimetric symmetry properties of inhomogeneous and isotropic materials within well-defined impurities from homogeneous ones. The underpinning physical idea is to inspect the Mueller matrix of the material sample, obtained from an ellipsometric measure: its form, in terms of symmetry, can reveal whether or not if in there are well-defined impurities in the sample.

In this paper, experimental evidences about the resonance phenomena in a negative 2D photonic crystal are shown. Localized plasmon-like modes and guided mode resonances are detected in the reflectivity spectrum of a photonic crystal slab irradiated with out-of-plane incident radiation. The strong confinement of the radiation, in addition to the field enhancement, make photonic crystals a very appealing alternative to plasmonic substrates, avoiding the limits of absorption losses in metals.

The application of metamaterials and plasmonic structures in the visible and near infrared are strongly limited by the dissipative losses due to the low conductivity of the most used metals in this frequency range. High temperature superconductors are plasmonic materials at nonzero temperature that can provide a possible alternative approach to overcome this limit. Moreover, they can have zero or even negative dielectric constant, and a bipolar behavior. All these characteristics are attractive for plasmonic applications, and encourage further studies aimed at a more detailed knowledge of the parameters characterizing high temperature superconductors as possible optical materials. In this paper, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis and ellipsometric measurements in the visible and infrared spectral regions on NdBa2Cu3O7-δ (Nd123) and ruthenocuprate superconductor GdSr2RuCu2O8-δ (Gd1212) are reported. As a matter of fact, Nd123 presents the highest transition temperature (Tc = 96 K) and the most interesting magnetic response properties among YBCO-like cuprate superconductors, whereas the coexistence in the same cell of superconductivity and magnetic order below Tc in Gd1212 can be an interesting feature for next metamaterial-like applications. The obtained results confirm the promising features of the considered materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous silicon based one-dimensional photonic crystals, such as Bragg mirror and optical microcavity, has been modified by infiltration of a new biocompatible polymer, an amino functionalized poly([variant_greek_epsilon]-caprolactone) (PCL-NH2), and characterized as optical biochemical sensors. The entrapped polymer adds strong chemical stability to the nanocrystalline matrix on exposure to alkaline solutions preserving the device sensing abilities in monitoring volatile substances and chemical compounds. On the basis of these results, these hybrid structures can be proposed as a high performance platform for biochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic and Photonics applications of superconducting materials, suggested at first by the necessity to minimize the dissipative losses of conventional metals in the high frequency ranges, are topics of growing interest in Optics. In this perspective, GdSr2RuCu2O8-δ (Gd1212) Rutheno-Cuprate Superconductor presents very promising properties, showing both superconducting and magnetically ordered phases coexisting in the same cell. To investigate its features, the fabrication of macroscopic crystallographically oriented samples is necessary. The use of melt texturing techniques has shown to be among the most effective ways to achieve the best characteristics, although the fabrication of high-quality Gd1212 samples is intrinsically difficult. To reach a better understanding of Gd1212 incongruent melting reaction, a series of bulk samples annealed at temperatures below and above the melting temperature was prepared. Raman Microscopy and Mapping performed on molten and re-solidified samples revealed the presence of different phases, corresponding to those identified in our previous studies. These observations were also confirmed by XRD, TGA-DTA, and SEM+EDS characterisations. Secondary phases formation showed a strong dependence on the temperature of the annealing treatments. Susceptibility and magnetization measurements show both superconducting and magnetic transitions and a contribution of different spurious magnetic phases as suggested by EDS.

Large-area and transparent all-dielectric metasurfaces sustaining photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs) provide a set of fundamental advantages for ultrasensitive biosensing. BICs bridge the gap of large effective mode volume with large experimental quality factor. Relying on the transduction mechanism of reactive sensing principle, herein, we first numerically study the potential of subwavelength confinement driven by topological decoupling from free space radiation for BIC-based biosensing. Then, we experimentally combine this capability with minimal and low-cost optical setup, applying the devised quasi-BIC resonator for PNA/DNA selective biosensing with real-time monitoring of the binding event. A sensitivity of 20 molecules per micron squared is achieved, i.e. ≃0.01 pg. Further enhancement can easily be envisaged, pointing out the possibility of single-molecule regime. This work aims at a precise and ultrasensitive approach for developing low-cost point-of-care tools suitable for routine disease prescreening analyses in laboratory, also adaptable to industrial production control.

The flow focusing is a fundamental prior step in order to sort, analyze, and detect particles or cells. The standard hydrodynamic approach requires two fluids to be injected into the microfluidic device: one containing the sample and the other one, called the sheath fluid, allows squeezing the sample fluid into a narrow stream. The major drawback of this approach is the high complexity of the layout for microfluidic devices when parallel streams are required. In this work, we present a novel parallelized microfluidic device that enables hydrodynamic focusing in each microchannel using a single feed flow. At each of the parallel channels, a cross-filter region is present that allows removing fluid from the sample fluid. This fluid is used to create local sheath fluids that hydrodynamically pinch the sample fluid. The great advantage of the proposed device is that, since only one inlet is needed, multiple parallel micro-channels can be easily introduced into the design. In the paper, the design method is described and the numerical simulations performed to define the optimal design are summarized. Moreover, the operational functionality of devices tested by using both polystyrene beads and Acute Lymphoid Leukemia cells are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation of stimulated Raman scattering in amorphous silicon nanoparticles embedded in Si-rich nitride/silicon superlattice structures (SRN/Si-SLs) is reported. Using a 1427 nm continuous-wavelength pump laser, an amplification of Stokes signal up to 0.9 dB/cm at 1540.6 nm and a significant reduction in threshold power of about 40% with respect to silicon are experimentally demonstrated. Our results indicate that amorphous silicon nanoparticles are a great promise for Si-based Raman lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication and characterization of all-silicon photodetectors at 1550 nm based on the internal photoemission effect. We investigated two types of structures: bulk and integrated devices. The former are constituted by a Fabry-Perot microcavity incorporating a Schottky diode, and their performance in terms of responsivity, free spectral range, and finesse was experimentally calculated in order to prove an enhancement in responsivity due to the cavity effect. Results show a responsivity peak of about 0.01 mA/Wat 1550 nm with a reverse bias of 100 mV. The latter are constituted by a Schottky junction placed transversally to the optical field confined into the waveguide. Preliminary results show a responsivity of about 0.1 mA/W at 1550 nm with a reverse bias of 1V and an efficient behaviour in both C and L bands. Finally, an estimation of bandwidth for GHz range is deduced for both devices. The technological steps utilized to fabricate the devices allow an efficiently monolithic integration with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design, the realization, and the characterization of silicon resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetectors, working at 1.55 μm, are reported. The photodetectors are constituted by a Fabry-Perot microcavity incorporating a Schottky diode. The working principle is based on the internal photoemission effect.We investigated two types of structures: top and back-illuminated. Concerning the top-illuminated photodetectors, a theoretical and numerical analysis has been provided and the device quantum efficiency has been calculated.Moreover, a comparison among three different photodetectors, having as Schottkymetal: gold, silver, or copper, was proposed. Concerning the back-illuminated devices, two kinds of Cu/p-Si RCE photodetectors, having various bottom-mirror reflectivities, were realized and characterized. Device performances in terms of responsivity, free spectral range, and finesse were theoretically and experimentally calculated in order to prove an enhancement in efficiency due to the cavity effect. The back-illuminated device fabrication process is completely compatible with the standard silicon technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the realization and characterization of a new kind of resonant cavity enhanced photo-detector, fully compatible with silicon microelectronic technologies and working at 1.55 μm, are reported. The detector is a resonant cavity enhanced structure incorporating a Schottky diode, and its working principle is based on the internal photo-emission effect. A comparison between a Schottky diode (Al/Si or Cu/Si) and the Schottky diode fed on a high-reflectivity Bragg mirror is carried out. Considering Al as Schottky metal, no difference in responsivity is obtained; considering Cu as Schottky metal, a three-fold responsivity improvement is experimentally demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetting phenomena in porous silicon layers are experimentally investigated by Raman scattering. The experimental results show a reversible blue-shift of Raman spectra of wetted porous silicon layers with respect to the unperturbed layers. We ascribe the shift to a compressive stress due to the increased lattice mismatch between the porous silicon layer and the bulk silicon substrate in wetting conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, the possibility of light generation and/or amplification in silicon, based on Raman emission, has achieved great results. However, some significant limitations, inherent to the physics of silicon, have been pointed out, too. In order to overcome these limitations, a possible option is to consider low dimensional silicon. Along this line of argument, an approach based on Raman scattering in porous silicon is presented. We prove two significant advantages with respect to silicon: the broadening of spontaneous Raman emission and the tuning of the Stokes shift. Finally, we discuss the prospect of Raman amplifier in porous silicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensing of chemicals and biochemical molecules using several porous silicon optical microsensors, based both on single-layer interferometers and resonant-cavity-enhanced microstructures, is reported. The operation of both families of sensors is based on the variation of the average refractive index of the porous silicon region, due to the interaction with chemical substances either in vapor or liquid state, which results in marked shifts of the device reflectivity spectra. The well established single-layer configuration has been used to test a new chemical approach based on Si-C bonds for covalent immobilization of biological molecules, as probe, in a stable way on the porous silicon surface. Preliminary results on complementary oligonucleotide recognition, based on this technique, are also presented and discussed. Porous silicon optical microcavities, based on multilayered resonating structures, have been used to detect chemical substances and, in particular, flammable and toxic organic solvents, and some hydrocarbons. The results put in evidence the high sensitivity, the reusability, and the low response time of the resonant-cavity-enhanced sensing technique. The possibility of operating at room temperature, of remote interrogation, and the absence of electrical contacts are further advantages characterizing the sensing technique. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A non-perturbing, fast, low-cost probe for near-field measurements is presented in this paper. The new sensing technique's capabilities in antenna fault diagnosis and direct measurement of field intensity distribution at subwavelength distance from the sources are demonstrated by test measurement on different microwave antennas and applicators. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 95–98, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10981 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of single-mode rib waveguides in standard epitaxial silicon layer on lightly-doped silicon substrate, using ion-implantation to form the lower cladding, is reported. The waveguides were designed with a cross-section comparable in size to the mode-field-diameter of standard single-mode optical fiber, so reducing the fiber-waveguide coupling losses. Propagation losses of about 1.0 dB/cm, for λ = 1.3 μm, in the single mode regime, have been measured. Numerical evaluation of the theoretical attenuation and the transverse optical field profiles has been performed, both for λ = 1.3 μm and λ = 1.55 μm. The proposed technique is low-cost, fully compatible with standard very large scale integration (VLSI) processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector operating at 1550 nm and integrated into a silicon-on-insulator waveguide. Detection uses internal photoemissions through a metal/Si interface. In particular, a small metal/Si contact layer directly deposited on the vertical output facet of the waveguide absorbs the incoming radiation confined into a rib waveguide. The device parameters for responsivity, dark current, and bandwidth take values 3.5 mA, 3.5 nA, and 1 GHz, respectively. The results obtained indicate device suitability in power monitoring and telecommunications applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a near infrared all-silicon (all-Si) photodetector integrated into a silicon-on-insulator waveguide is demonstrated. The device is based on the internal photoemission effect through a metal/Si Schottky junction placed transversally to the optical field confined into the waveguide. The technological steps utilized to fabricate the device allow an efficiently monolithic integration with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor compatible structures. Preliminary results show a responsivity of 0.08 mA/W at 1550 nm with a reverse bias of 1 V and an efficient behavior both in C and L band. Finally, an estimation of bandwidth for GHz range is deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the observation of stimulated Raman scattering in silicon nanocomposites, consisting of silicon nanoparticles dispersed in SiO2 matrix prepared by sol-gel method. Using a 1427 nm cw pump laser, amplification of Stokes signal, at 1542.2 nm, up to 1.4 dB/cm is demonstrated. A preliminary valuation of approximately a fivefold enhancement of the gain coefficient in Raman amplifier based on silicon nanocomposites with respect to silicon and a significant reduction of threshold power are also reported. These results have a potential interest for silicon-based Raman lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]