Monolithic Integration of Indirect Electrically Pumped Colloidal Quantum Dot Light Source on Silicon Nitride Waveguide

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) exhibit advantages such as a broad and tunable emission spectrum, low-cost solution-based synthesis, and ease of heterogeneous integration, showing great potential in silicon-based optoelectronics. In this paper, we demonstrate an indirect electrically pumped CQD light source integrated with silicon nitride (SiNx) waveguides on a silicon substrate. The device utilizes an integrated electroluminescent green CQD light-emitting diode (QLED) to excite red CQDs deposited on the SiNx waveguides, with the emitted light coupled into the waveguides for transmission. The device achieves a maximum output power of 2.8 nW at the edge of waveguide output. With the advantages of low-cost post-processing on CMOS-compatible waveguides and applicability to CQDs of various wavelengths, this device holds potential for on-chip light source applications.