4H-SICOi Low-Loss Nanophotonic Devices with Chip-Level Uniformity and Integrated Color Centers in an SiC-On-Insulator

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Summary:

This study presents a breakthrough in fabricating uniform, low-loss nanophotonic devices using 4H-silicon carbide-on-insulator (SiCOI) platforms for quantum photonics. A major obstacle in producing high-performance SiCOI devices has been the non-uniform thickness of SiC films, which leads to low device yield and inconsistent optical properties across the chip.

To solve this, the authors employ dopant-selective photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching, targeting a high-TTV sacrificial n-type layer and stopping on a uniform intrinsic (i-type) layer. This method reduces the total thickness variation (TTV) by a factor of 7 and preserves the optical properties of quantum color centers like silicon carbide divacancies.

Key results include:

• TTV reduced from 628 nm to 84 nm

• Fabricated waveguides exhibit record-low propagation loss (as low as 2.2 dB/cm at 920 nm)

• High yield (58%) of functional racetrack resonators across the chip

• Preserved emission from implanted color centers, demonstrating compatibility with quantum photonic applications

• Demonstrated electro-optic tunability, enabling precise wavelength control across devices

This work provides a scalable, CMOS-compatible method for producing high-performance SiCOI quantum photonic circuits with integrated defects, marking a significant step toward practical silicon carbide-based quantum technologies.