Nonlinear Semiconductor Photonics

Professor Anna Peacock at work surrounded by equipment in the photonics lab

We explore the development and optimization of new semiconductor material platforms for application in nonlinear photonics. Our work draws on elements of materials science, nonlinear waveguide optics, photonic component design and device fabrication.

About

Semiconductor photonics is a thriving area of research, offering optoelectronic solutions for a wide range of applications extending from telecommunications to medicine and sensing. Within this field, a subdivision that is gaining increased momentum is semiconductor nonlinear photonics as the materials display a number of important nonlinear effects that can be used to generate and process signals at ultrafast speeds.

Our research focuses on the development of novel semiconductor waveguide platforms; from the design and characterisation stage, through to the demonstration of practical all-optical nonlinear devices. We investigate devices fabricated both from conventional planar waveguides on-chip as well as those based on an emerging platform that incorporates semiconductor materials directly into the cores of optical fibres. In particular, the semiconductor fibre platform offers a unique possibility to seamlessly link semiconductor technologies with the silica fibre infrastructures that are used to transmit light around the globe.

Specific topics of interest are: