Quantification of the carrier absorption losses in Si-nanocrystal rich rib waveguides at 1.54 µm

A detailed study of the carrier absorption (CA) mechanism in multilayered silicon-nanocrystals (Si-nc) rib waveguides is reported. A pump (532 nm) and probe (1535 nm) technique is used to assess two loss mechanisms due to optical excitation of the system: one characterized by slow (seconds) dynamics related to heating and the other characterized by fast (microsecond) dynamics associated to CA mechanisms within the Si-nc. CA losses increase with pumping flux of up to 6 dB/cm for 3x1020 photons/cm2 s. By comparing the temporal dynamics of CA losses and time resolved photoluminescence, we suggest that both are determined by exciton generation and recombination