Simultaneous light emission and detection of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well diodes for in-plane visible light communication on a chip

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of monolithically integrated p-n junction InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well diodes (MQWDs) and suspended waveguides. Suspended MQWDs can be used as transmitters and receivers simultaneously, and suspended waveguides are used for light coupling to create an in-plane visible light communication system. Compared to the waveguide with separation trench, the calculated total light efficiency is increased from 18% to 22% for the continuous waveguide. The MQWDs are characterized by their typical current-voltage performance, and the pulse excitation measurements confirm that the InGaN/GaN MQWDs can achieve the light emission and photodetection at the same time. The photocurrent measurements indicate that the photocurrent is modulated by a bias voltage and that the photons are being supplied from another transmitter. An experimental demonstration is presented showing that the proposed device works well for in-plane full-duplex communication using visible light.