Asymmetric planar luminescent waveguide based on amorphous silicon carbide with polarized radiation in leaky modes

Abstract

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is used to fabricate asymmetric planar luminescent waveguides (APWs) based on amorphous silicon-carbide films with submicron thickness on quartz substrates. Narrow peaks of linearly (P and S) polarized radiation related to the emission in the APW leaky modes are detected in the APW emission spectra from the end surface of a substrate under excitation of photoluminescence. The dependence of the spectral positions of peaks on the angle at which the radiation is emitted from the end surface and the film thickness is analyzed. At grazing angles of emission, the radiation wavelength is almost independent of the angle. It is demonstrated that the difference between the wavelengths of the P- and S-polarized peaks in the PL spectra decreases with an increase in the waveguide thickness. The waveguide works as an optical microcavity for leaky modes. The amplitude of the S-polarized peak is higher than the amplitude of the P-polarized peak due to the fact that the Q factor for the S-polarized leaky modes is greater than the Q factor for the P-polarized leaky mode. The luminescent APWs can be used to generate optical beams with radial and azimuthal polarizations.