Silicon photonics, due to its compatibility with the CMOS platform and unprecedented integration capability, has become the preferred solution for the implementation of next generation optical interconnects. However, current Si photonics require on-chip integration of several materials, including III-V for lasing, doped silicon for modulation and Ge for detection. The very different requirements of these materials result in complex fabrication processes that offset the cost-effectiveness of the Si photonics approach. We are developing an alternative route towards the integration of optoelectronic devices in Si photonic, relying on the use of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). SWNTs can be considered as a Si compatible material able to emit, modulate and detect near-infrared light. Hence, they hold a unique potential to implement all active devices in the Si photonics platform. In addition, solution processed SWNTs can be integrated on Si using spin-coating techniques, obviating the need of complex epitaxial growth or chip bonding approaches. Here, we report on our recent progress in the coupling of SWNTs light emission into optical resonators implemented on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform.

Silicon photonics has emerged as a very promising technology platform for the implementation of high-performance, low-cost, ultra-compact circuits that can monolithically cointegrate electronic, opto-electronic and optic functionalities. However, Si neither has efficient light emission or detection in the telecom wavelength range, nor exhibits efficient electro-optic Pockels effect, hindering the implementation of integrated active devices like sources, detectors, or modulators. Current approaches relay on different materials to provide active functionalities in Si photonics, resulting in highly complex integration schemes that compromise cost-effectiveness. Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are capable of emitting and detecting near-infrared light at room temperature and exhibit intrinsically fast electro-optic effects. They have also proven promising uses in micro-electronic devices, making them an ideal material to provide active functionalities in the Si photonic platform. In this work, we propose and experimentally validate the possible use of slot photonic waveguides to improve interaction between SWNTs and Si waveguide modes. Fabricated Si slot micro-ring shown an experimental ~ 60% photo-luminescence improvement compared to previous demonstration based on Si strip waveguide resonators. These results prove the potential of Si slot waveguides for the implementation of efficient SWNT-based Si photonic devices.

We report on the strong photoluminescence enhancement from carbon nanotubes integrated in silicon microring resonators under two pumping configuration: surface-illuminated pumping and collinear pumping. Extremely efficient rejection of non-resonant photoluminescence is observed.

Theoretical investigations based principally on Monte Carlo calculations were conducted to interpret the hindered mobility of protons which was experimentally observed in a hybrid biological/artificial nanopore constituted of the ion bio-channel gramicidin A confined inside an artificial solid-state nanopore. We show that this experimental outcome may result from the high concentration of gramicidin A that progressively diminishes the transfer of proton from one side to the other of the nanopore. More, using molecular dynamic simulations data we demonstrate that the water molecules are repelling from the gramicidin structure outside the nanopore, leading to a strong decrease of the proton transfer.

The electrophoretic transport of ions through single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) of diameters between 1.2 and 1.8 nm was studied for different monovalent chloride salts using microfluidic devices incorporating either a single or a few CNTs in parallel. The ionic conductance was found to be about one order of magnitude higher than expected from a simple electro-migration behavior without any surface effect. Importantly, the ionic conductance measured for different cations did not scale with their bulk electrophoretic mobility thus indicating a probable selective cation transport through these sub-2 nm SWCNTs. The transport of Na+ was notably found to be favored in comparison to that of Li+ and Cs+ or K+ . These results highlight the influence of steric and surface effects induced by the nano-confinement on the transport of ions through sub-2 nm SWCNTs.