Slow light is a fascinating physical effect, raising fundamental questionsrelated to our understanding of light-matter interactions as well as offeringnew possibilities for photonic devices. From the first demonstrations of slowlight propagation in ultra-cold atomic gasses, solid-state Ruby and photoniccrystal structures, focus has shifted to applications, with slow light offeringthe ability to enhance and control light-matter interactions. The demonstrationof tuneable delay lines, enhanced nonlinearities and spontaneous emission,enlarged spectral sensitivity and increased phase shifts illustrate thepossibilities enabled by slow light propagation, with microwave photonicsemerging as one of the promising applications. Here, we demonstrate that slowlight can be used to control and increase the gain coefficient of an activesemiconductor waveguide. The effect was theoretically predicted but not yetexperimentally demonstrated. These results show a route towards realizingultra-compact optical amplifiers for linear and nonlinear applications inintegrated photonics and prompts further research into the rich physics of suchstructures.
展开▼
