Research
EMAIL: JIAXUBRIAN.SIA@NTU.EDU.SG
Photonic Sensing
Foremost demonstration of the crown ether (Charles Pedersen, 1967 Nobel Prize)/silicon photonic platform
Crown ethers possesses a remarkable ability to selectively bind to certain ions
First demonstrated Fischer esterification on SiO2/Si waveguide surfaces
This paves the way for the subsequent amine conjugation of crown ethers
Lead toxification is a concerning, unaddressed global public health crisis that leads to one million deaths annually
Lead detection is demonstrated, with a dynamic range of 1 - 62,000 ppb, while demonstrating selectivity against other ions
Sensor technology validated in field samples
Currently working with industry with regards to the potential commercialization of the sensor technology
Substrate-inverted Multi-Material Integration Technology (SuMMIT)
The standard silicon photonic platform has significant material limitations
This has lead to the development of hybrid/heterogeneous silicon photonics
However, current framework would neccessitate the elimination of the BEOL layers or the formation of deep trenches to bring the subsequent materials in close proximity to the waveguide core to enhance light-matter interaction
By leveraging on advanced 3-D integration, the SuMMIT platform facilitates the monolithic integration of the silicon photonic, TGV, and CMOS technologies, all at the wafer-scale
The back removal of the silicon photonic wafer (BOX and 725 μm silicon substrate) enables the integration of various materials (i.e., phase change materials, 2D materials, magnetooptical materials, Pockels media) at the backside of the silicon photonic waveguide, in a scalable fashion
Localized electric/magnetic field manipulation can be harnessed with the retention of the BEOL layers, and via the integration of beyond-CMOS materials, unprecented functionalities can be realized
Patents filed via MIT/NTU
Heterogeneous Silicon Photonics
The integration of various materials via the developed hydrophillic bonding process
This enables the extension of functionalities to the silicon photonic platform
Hybrid III-V/Silicon Photonics
The demonstration of scalable, electrically pumped integrated lasers within silicon photonics is one of the withstanding issue in the field
Through the development of the hybrid III-V/Silicon Photonic platform, the ratio of optical mode volume between low-loss silicon photonics and the III-V gain section can be attained via passive laser cavity extension
Wide wavelength tunability across the O, C, L, 1.65 μm and 2 μm wavebands have been demonstrated with ultra-high laser coherence (Lorentzian Linewidths < 1 kHz)
Patents filed via NTU and industry
Currently working with industry with regards to the commercialization of the laser technology
The development of the platform has received press attention - (https://optics.org/news/13/4/20, https://www.ledinside.com/news/2022/4/compoundtek_successfully_demonstrates, http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2022/apr/compoundtek-120422.shtml, https://laser.ofweek.com/2022-04/ART-8110-2400-30557545.html ).
Wafer-Scale Silicon Photonics
The key advantage of silicon photonics comes from its potential for large-scale integration, in a low-cost, wafer-scale fashion
The development development of the wafer-scale silicon photonic platform will further facilitate the adoption of the photonic technology in industry
This work indicates the wafer-scale demonstration of ultra-low waveguide loss (0.43 dB/cm)
Silicon Mach-Zehnder Modulators and Microring Modulators have indicated median bandwidths of 38.5 and 43 GHz respectively
Germanium waveguide integrated photodetectors with median bandwidth of 43 GHz is reported
This wafer-scale platform forms the foundation of SuMMIT as elucidated above