Silicon Carbide Optoelectronic and Photonic Device Integration

Silicon Carbide (SiC), as a third-generation semiconductor material, emerges as an ideal platform for advancing nanophotonic technologies due to its high refractive index, low optical loss, compatibility with integrated circuit processes, and high thermal conductivity. This talk presents key innovations in SiC photonics. First, to overcome the critical issue of focal shift in high-power laser processing caused by thermal absorption in traditional objective lenses, we designed and fabricated a 4H-SiC metalens that rivals commercial objectives. Its outstanding thermal management enables stable, near-diffraction-limit focusing performance during extended operation. Second, addressing challenges in metalens design such as the sensitivity and unpredictability of in-plane topology optimization algorithms, limitations in degrees of freedom, and the computational burden of full-wave simulations, we utilized an inverse design optimization algorithm to develop a metalens with both high numerical aperture (NA) and achromatic characteristics. Furthermore, to solve the problems inherent in conventional full-color display diffractive waveguide AR glasses, specifically their bulk and weight from multi-layer waveguides, rainbow artifacts induced by ambient light, and thermal management challenges in micro-optical engines, we designed and mass-produced an ultra-lightweight, ultra-thin SiC AR waveguide. This device employs a single-layer waveguide to achieve full-color display and a large field of view (FoV), while effectively suppressing rainbow artifacts. These studies provide innovative solutions for designing ultra-compact optical devices and are poised to accelerate the development and practical application of high-performance SiC nanophotonic devices.