Er-Doped Electro-Optical Memory Element for 1.5-$\mu$ m Silicon Photonics

Silicon photonics is rapidly growing and a number of Si-based active and passive components have recently been demonstrated. We demonstrate new functionality of Er-doped silicon: a memory effect in electroluminescence. This finding opens a prospect of necessary, and thus far not available, component for Si optoelectronics—a fully complimentary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatible electro-optical converter with a memory function, operating in the technologically important 1.5- $\mu$m band. When developed and optimized, prospect applications could include optical intra- and inter-chip connectors and volatile flash memory elements.