The goal of this proposal is to demonstrate direct modulated high performance InAs quantum dot laser array integrated with passive a-Si:H waveguides and multiplexer components by a novel in-plane integrations scheme and achieve, for the first time, an integrated optical transceiver on the Si platform. High performance integrated optical transceiver circuits on the Si platform have been elusive, and their demonstration is transformative and can be considered a milestone in the field of Si photonics when the proposed integrated silicon photonic chips are compared with the discrete component-based photonic IC counterparts. The unique quantum dot laser structures and novel in-plane integration scheme are more suitable in silicon photonics than other devices and integration schemes that are currently being explored. Broader impacts: The broader impacts are the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Outreach projects are highlighted to provide research experience for undergraduates and K-12 students and expose them to science and engineering disciplines. Demonstration of the operation of an optical interconnection circuit with discrete components will be given to K-12 students through the Beyond-9.8 outreach program. The proposed program provides a broader impact to our society beyond technical merits, it bridges optoelectronics with microelectronics, physics and materials science and engineering, and it can extend optoelectronics to real applications.
