Carbon nanotubes based photonics: Towards the laser

Semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) have generated a growing interest for several years due to their extraordinary optical properties. A strong enhancement of the photoluminescence properties has been obtained thanks to the extraction of s-SWNTs. These advances led to the first demonstration of optical gain in carbon nanotubes and are a precursor to obtain nanotube-based laser. Finally, we will present the integration of s-SWNT in silicon photonic structures, and experimentally demonstrate light emission in silicon waveguides. These results constitute a significant milestone towards the development of carbon nanotube based laser sources in silicon.