Microphotonics, silicon

Keywords Microphotonics, silicon-on-insulator, integrated optics, birefringence, silicon... 

S. Ossidni, L. Pavesi, F. Priolo, Light Emitting Silicon for Microphotonics, in Springer Tracts on Modern Physics, vol. 194, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2003. 

The expectation of obvious positive effects from the development of all-silicon microphotonics increases the activity in the search for the ways of manufacturing of silicon lasers and light amplifiers. Among these approaches it is the most commonly encountered a use of specific properties of low-size silicon crystals, impurity rare-earth ions, and the Raman effect [1-3]. In the present paper, we consider (and propose for development) the promising, but insufficiently studied approach to the creation of silicon lasers. It is based on emission features of specific structural nanoscale imperfections of silicon crystals which can be called emissive structural defects (ESDs). No mention has been made of this approach in reviews [1,2] devoted to the problem. 

Ossicini S, Pavesi L, Priolo F (2003) Light emitting silicon for microphotonics. Springer, New York, p 43... 

The exceptionally low thermal conductivity of highly porous silicon has led to its use as a thermal insulator within microsystems. A comprehensive review of thermal conductivity literature is provided, together with examples of its use in microsensing and microphotonic systems. 

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