Integrated Photonic Platform Based on InGaN/GaN Nanowire Emitters and Detectors

We report the fabrication of a photonic platform consisting of single wire light-emitting diodes (LED) and photodetectors optically coupled by waveguides. MOVPE-grown (metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy) InGaN/GaN p-n junction core-shell nanowires have been used for device fabrication. To achieve a good spectral matching between the emission wavelength and the detection range, different active regions containing either five narrow InGaN/GaN quantum wells or one wide InGaN segment were employed for the LED and the detector, respectively. The communication wavelength is similar to 400 nm. The devices are realized by means of electron beam lithography on Si/SiO2 templates and connected by similar to 100 mu m long nonrectilinear SiN waveguides. The photodetector current trace shows signal variation correlated with the LED on/off switching with a fast transition time below 0.5 s.