Fabrication of AlGaN Integrated Photonic Devices

AlGaN is a highly promising material for the next generation of integrated optics due to its wide band gap and transparency over a wide spectral range, from UV to infrared [1], [2]. This material also has a relatively high electro-optic coefficient, making it ideal for fast electro-optical modulation and the fabrication of reconfigurable optical devices. Additionally, similar to AlN, the reasonably high second-order optical nonlinearity of AlGaN may enable the creation of on-chip nonlinear optical devices such as parametric oscillators, sum or difference frequency generators, and the generation of entangled photons [3]. Furthermore, the technological availability of many optoelectronic devices based on the epitaxially grown GaN/AlGaN/InGaN/AlN platform makes it possible to integrate lasers, LEDs, photodetectors, and high electron mobility transistors on the same chip.