Large Brillouin Amplification in Silicon

Strong Brillouin coupling has only recently been realized in silicon using a new class of optomechanical waveguides that yield both optical and phononic confinement. Despite these major advances, appreciable Brillouin amplification has yet to be observed in silicon. Using a new membrane-suspended silicon waveguide we report large Brillouin amplification for the first time, reaching levels greater than 5 dB for modest pump powers, and demonstrate a record low (5 mW) threshold for net amplification. This work represents a crucial advance necessary to realize high-performance Brillouin lasers and amplifiers in silicon.