Integrated silicon-based nonlinear photodetector

A method comprising:

• directing an input beam carrying an optical signal into an optical waveguide of an integrated silicon-based structure, the integrated silicon-based structure further comprising a microcavity optically coupled to the waveguide;
• receiving optical energy in the microcavity from the input beam and absorbing the optical energy in the microcavity by a nonlinear multi-photon absorption process;
• and
• producing an electronic signal in response to the nonlinear multi-photon absorption process in the microcavity, the electrical signal indicative of the optical signal.

Apparatus comprising:

• an integrated silicon-based structure comprising an optical waveguide for receiving an input beam carrying an optical signal and a microcavity optically coupled to the waveguide and configured to receive optical energy from the input beam and absorb the optical energy by a nonlinear multi-photon absorption process,
• the integrated silicon-based structure further comprising electrodes responsive to the nonlinear multi-photon absorption process in the microcavity for producing an electronic signal indicative of the optical signal,
• wherein the microcavity comprises silicon and wherein the nonlinear multi-photon absorption process is in the silicon, and
• wherein the microcavity has a resonant frequency ω0, a quality factor Q, and a modal volume VMODE, and wherein the input beam carrying the optical signal has a wavelength in air equal to λAIR, with 1.2 μm<λAIR<2.4 μm, and wherein Q>100 and VMODE<1000 λAIR3.

A method comprising:

• directing an input beam carrying an optical signal into an integrated silicon-based structure comprising a microcavity;
• receiving optical energy in the microcavity from the input beam and absorbing the optical energy in the microcavity by a nonlinear multi-photon absorption process;
• and
• producing an electronic signal in response to the nonlinear multi-photon absorption process in the microcavity, the electrical signal indicative of the optical signal, wherein the microcavity comprises silicon and wherein the nonlinear multi-photon absorption process is in the silicon.