The Stanford Photonics Research Center

Professor Harris’s group does research on the growth, characterization, nanofabrication and device implementation of unique compound semiconductor materials. Harris’s group has pioneered the development of low bandgap GaInNAsSb materials for efficient long wavelength telecom lasers on GaAs substrates. His group also uses carefully controlled molecular beam epitaxy combined with nanolithography to prepare artificially structured materials with atomic layer control and enhanced performance. Recent achievements include new materials that extend the wavelength range that can be covered by VCSELs on GaAs substrates and, in collaboration with Miller’s group, new quantum well materials for high performance electro-absorption modulators that are compatible with Si substrates.

Professor Kahn’s group is focused on optical fiber communications, free-space optical communications and associated devices/subsystems. Of particular interest are advanced modulation, coding and detection for high spectral efficiency and enhanced tolerance to transmission impairments, as well as signal processing to compensate these impairments. In free-space systems, Kahn’s group is working with Prof. Fejer’s group on wavelength converters to enable mid-IR transmission, and on signal processing to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. Professor Kahn’s group also does research on high data rate transmission in multi-mode fibers. In collaboration with Dr. Fan’s group, Kahn’s group has used adaptive optics to mitigate modal dispersion to increase the distance over which signals can be transmitted at high bit rates and have demonstrated 10 Gbps transmission over more that 10 km of standard multi-mode fiber.

Professor Vuckovic’s group performs experimental and theoretical research in nanoscale and quantum photonics. Particular areas of interest are photonic crystal devices and integration, solid state photonic quantum information technologies, and associated nanofabrication technology. Vuckovic’s group recently developed ultra-fast photonic crystal nanolasers with 100 GHz response, and quantum dot-photonic crystal cavity single photon sources for quantum cryptography. In collaboration with the Miller and Harris groups, Dr. Vuckovic’s group works on silicon-based lasers.