Key Engineering Materials Vol. 984

Abstract: Development of optical chemical sensors for the detection of specific toxic chemicals at ultratrace levels and analysis of complex mixtures is crucial for new green and safe technologies [1, 2]. Metallic structures confined at the nanoscale acquire interesting properties such as strongly localizing E fields on their surfaces through Plasmonic Resonance under stimuli of light at certain wavelengths. This nanostructures are called plasmonic structures [3–5]. This effect is exploited to amplify the optical signal obtained by the molecules of interest, located near plasmonic structures [3, 6]. Purpose of the work is the development of innovative, easy to manufacture and cheap optical active layer consisting of Plasmonic Ag Nanoparticles on a Wide Band Gap semiconductor material such as Silicon Carbide to be used as substrate for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering or for the fabrication of integrated optical sensor for remote chemical and biological applications. In this contest, the phenomenon of Ag thin film thermal dewetting on SiC substrate was implemented to develop a simple nanoparticles synthetic approach. Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed the formation of Ag nanoparticles by thermal annealing of thin silver film. 4-MBA was used as probe molecule for SERS phenomenon investigation. The formation of a covalent bond between the silver nanostructures, acting as plasmonic "hot spots", and the species of interest enable its detection at very low concentrations, in the range of 10^-5 M or less, in both Raman and UV-Vis configurations.

Abstract: Kerr nonlinear microcavities have garnered significant interest owing to their rich dynamics of nonlinear optical phenomena and compatibility with on-chip photonic integration. Recently, silicon carbide has emerged as a compelling platform due to its unique optical properties. In this study, we demonstrate Raman-assisted and Kerr optical frequency generation in a 4H-silicon carbide-on-insulator microresonator. By pumping the transverse electric (TE₀₀) mode within the device, we observe a stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) Stokes with the Raman shift at approximately 775 cm^-1, achieved with an on-chip power of 350 mW. Furthermore, by red-tuning the TE₀₀ pump wavelength, we have achieved the coexistence of Raman and Kerr frequency combs. Using another device on the same chip with light variation of the taper we can observe the Raman and Kerr frequency combs within a spectral bandwidth ranging from ∼ 1440 to 1960 nm. The inclusion of the Raman-assisted comb extends the comb’s coverage into longer wavelength regimes, making it highly desirable for spectroscopy applications.