New Materials for Multifunctional Photonic ICs

Silicon photonics is rapidly maturing but for fully exploiting its potential integration with novel materials is required. For lasers we focus on the integration of silicon with III-V semiconductors, through wafer bonding techniques or, more recently, through direct epitaxy. For modulators and switches with improved performance compared to the standard pin-depletion modulators we work on the integration with 2D-materials and in particular graphene and with ferro-electrics such as PZT and BTO.