We have conducted a detailed experimental and theoretical study of nonlinear absorption in semiconductors. Experimental measurements were made on a variety of materials at wavelengths of 1.06 and 0.53 microns using a picosecond Nd:YAG laser. Both two- and three-photon processes were investigated. Values of nonlinear absorption coefficients extracted from these measurements show excellent agreement with recent theory and scaling rules. Our theoretical investigation has been carried out for two-, three-,and n-photon absorption, for both continuous and pulsed sources. Expressions are obtained for the transmission of the sample in terms of the incident irradiance for each case. The physical interpretation of these results is discussed. We have also considered the effects of the photogenerated carriers on the measurements. Equations are developed that include linear absorption by these carriers. We have observed severe distortions on the transmitted beam, caused by changes in the refractive index of the material, due to the presence of these carriers. We present a model that accurately describes these effects in terms of the photogenerated carrier density. We have developed several novel techniques for monitoring nonlinear absorption. In particular, we have adapted the photoacoustic technique to the measurement of nonlinear absorption in semiconductors. We have also developed a technique employing irradiance modulation to greatly enhance the sensitivity to nonlinear processes and simultaneously discriminate against linear background signals. A related technique has been used to observe coherent mixing effects in semiconductors with cw, modelocked dye lasers.

<p>The objective of this work has been to study equilibrium and non equilibrium situations during high pressure gas processing operations with emphasis on utilization of the high reservoir pressure. The well stream pressures of some of the condensate and gas fields in the North Sea are well above 200 bar. Currently the gas is expanded to a specified processing condition, typically 40-70 bar, before it is recompressed to the transportation conditions. It would be a considerable environmental and economic advantage to be able to process the natural gas at the well stream pressure. Knowledge of thermodynamic- and kinetic properties of natural gas systems at high pressures is needed to be able to design new high pressure process equipment. </p><p>Nowadays, reactive absorption into a methyldiethanolamine (MDEA)solution in a packed bed is a frequently used method to perform acid gas treating. The carbon dioxide removal process on the Sleipner field in the North Sea uses an aqueous MDEA solution and the operation pressure is about 100 bar. The planed carbon dioxide removal process for the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea is the use of an activated MDEA solution. </p><p>The aim of this work has been to study high-pressure effects related to the removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas. Both modelling and experimental work on high-pressure non-equilibrium situations in gas processing operations have been done. </p><p>Few experimental measurements of mass transfer in high pressure fluid systems have been published. In this work a wetted wall column that can operate at pressures up to 200 bar was designed and constructed. The wetted wall column is a pipe made of stainless steel where the liquid is distributed as a thin liquid film on the inner pipewall while the gas flows co- or concurrent in the centre of the pipe. The experiments can be carried out with a well-defined interphase area and with relatively simple fluid mechanics. In this way we are able to isolate the effects we want to study in a simple and effective way. </p><p>Experiments where carbon dioxide was absorbed into water and MDEA solutions were performed at pressures up to 150 bar and at temperatures 25 and 40°C. Nitrogen was used as an inert gas in all experiments. </p><p>A general non-equilibrium simulation program (NeqSim) has been developed. The simulation program was implemented in the object-oriented programming language Java. Effort was taken to find an optimal object-oriented design. Despite the increasing popularity of object-oriented programming languages such as Java and C++, few publications have discussed how to implement thermodynamic and fluid mechanic models. A design for implementation of thermodynamic, mass transfer and fluid mechanic calculations in an object-oriented framework is presented in this work. </p><p>NeqSim is based on rigorous thermodynamic and fluid mechanic models. Parameter fitting routines are implemented in the simulation tool and thermodynamic-, mass transfer- and fluid mechanic models were fitted to public available experimental data. Two electrolyte equations of state were developed and implemented in the computer code. The electrolyte equations of state were used to model the thermodynamic properties of the fluid systems considered in this work (non-electrolyte, electrolyte and weak-electrolyte systems).</p><p>The first electrolyte equation of state (electrolyte ScRK-EOS) was based on a model previously developed by Furst and Renon (1993). The molecular part of the equation was based on a cubic equation of state (Scwarzentruber et.al. (1989)’s modification of the Redlich-Kwong EOS) with the Huron-Vidal mixing rule. Three ionic terms were added to this equation – a short-range ionic term, a long-range ionic term (MSA) and a Born term. The thermodynamic model has the advantage that it reduces to a standard cubic equation of state if no ions are present in the solution, and that public available interaction parameters used in the Huron-Vidal mixing rule could be utilized. The originality of this electrolyte equation of state is the use of the Huron-Vidal mixing rule and the addition of a Born term. Compared to electrolyte models based on equations for the gibbs excess energy, the electrolyte equation of state has the advantage that the extrapolation to higher pressures and solubility calculations of supercritical components is less cumbersome. The electrolyte equation of state was able to correlate and predict equilibrium properties of CO₂-MDEA-water solutions with a good precision. It was also able to correlate high pressure data of systems of methane-CO₂-MDEA and water. </p><p>The second thermodynamic model (electrolyte CPA-EOS) evaluated in this work is a model where the molecular interactions are modelled with the CPA (cubic plus association) equation of state (Kontogeorgios et.al., 1999) with a classical one-parameter Van der Walls mixing rule. This model has the advantage that few binary interaction parameters have to be used (even for non-ideal solutions), and that its extrapolation capability to higher pressures is expected to be good. In the CPA model the same ionic terms are used as in the electrolyte ScRK-EOS. </p><p>A general non-equilibrium two-fluid model was implemented in the simulation program developed in this work. The heat- and mass-transfer calculations were done using an advanced multicomponent mass transfer model based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The mass transfer model is flexible and able to simulate many types of non-equilibrium processes we find in the petroleum industry. A model for reactive mass transfer using enhancement factors was implemented for the calculation of mass transfer of CO₂ into amine solutions. The mass transfer model was fitted to the available mass transfer data found in the open literature. </p><p>The simulation program was used to analyse and perform parameter fitting to the high pressure experimental data obtained during this work. The mathematical models used in NeqSim were capable of representing the experimental data of this work with a good precision. From the experimental and modelling work done, we could conclude that the mass transfer model regressed to pure low-pressure data also was able to represent the high-pressure mass transfer data with an acceptable precision. Thus the extrapolation capability of the model to high pressures was good. </p><p>For a given partial pressure of CO₂ in the natural gas, calculations show a decreased CO₂ capturing capacity of aqueous MDEA solutions at increased natural gas system pressure. A reduction up to 40% (at 200 bar) compared to low pressure capacity is estimated. The pressure effects can be modelled correctly by using suitable thermodynamic models for the liquid and gas. In a practical situation, the partial pressure of CO₂ in the natural gas will be proportional to the total pressure. In these situations, it is shown that the CO₂ capturing capacity of the MDEA solution will be increased at rising total pressures up to 200 bar. However, the increased capacity is not as large as we would expect from the higher CO₂ partial pressure in the gas.</p><p>The reaction kinetics of CO₂ with MDEA is shown to be relatively unaffected by the total pressure when nitrogen is used as inert gas. It is however important that the effects of thermodynamic and kinetic non- ideality in the gas and liquid phase are modelled in a consistent way. Using the simulation program NeqSim – some selected high-pressure non-equilibrium processes (e.g. absorption, pipe flow) have been studied. It is demonstrated that the model is capable of simulating equilibrium- and non-equilibrium processes important to the process- and petroleum industry.</p>

The objective of this work has been to study equilibrium and non equilibrium situations during high pressure gas processing operations with emphasis on utilization of the high reservoir pressure. The well stream pressures of some of the condensate and gas fields in the North Sea are well above 200 bar. Currently the gas is expanded to a specified processing condition, typically 40-70 bar, before it is recompressed to the transportation conditions. It would be a considerable environmental and economic advantage to be able to process the natural gas at the well stream pressure. Knowledge of thermodynamic- and kinetic properties of natural gas systems at high pressures is needed to be able to design new high pressure process equipment. Nowadays, reactive absorption into a methyldiethanolamine (MDEA)solution in a packed bed is a frequently used method to perform acid gas treating. The carbon dioxide removal process on the Sleipner field in the North Sea uses an aqueous MDEA solution and the operation pressure is about 100 bar. The planed carbon dioxide removal process for the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea is the use of an activated MDEA solution. The aim of this work has been to study high-pressure effects related to the removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas. Both modelling and experimental work on high-pressure non-equilibrium situations in gas processing operations have been done. Few experimental measurements of mass transfer in high pressure fluid systems have been published. In this work a wetted wall column that can operate at pressures up to 200 bar was designed and constructed. The wetted wall column is a pipe made of stainless steel where the liquid is distributed as a thin liquid film on the inner pipewall while the gas flows co- or concurrent in the centre of the pipe. The experiments can be carried out with a well-defined interphase area and with relatively simple fluid mechanics. In this way we are able to isolate the effects we want to study in a simple and effective way. Experiments where carbon dioxide was absorbed into water and MDEA solutions were performed at pressures up to 150 bar and at temperatures 25 and 40°C. Nitrogen was used as an inert gas in all experiments. A general non-equilibrium simulation program (NeqSim) has been developed. The simulation program was implemented in the object-oriented programming language Java. Effort was taken to find an optimal object-oriented design. Despite the increasing popularity of object-oriented programming languages such as Java and C++, few publications have discussed how to implement thermodynamic and fluid mechanic models. A design for implementation of thermodynamic, mass transfer and fluid mechanic calculations in an object-oriented framework is presented in this work. NeqSim is based on rigorous thermodynamic and fluid mechanic models. Parameter fitting routines are implemented in the simulation tool and thermodynamic-, mass transfer- and fluid mechanic models were fitted to public available experimental data. Two electrolyte equations of state were developed and implemented in the computer code. The electrolyte equations of state were used to model the thermodynamic properties of the fluid systems considered in this work (non-electrolyte, electrolyte and weak-electrolyte systems). The first electrolyte equation of state (electrolyte ScRK-EOS) was based on a model previously developed by Furst and Renon (1993). The molecular part of the equation was based on a cubic equation of state (Scwarzentruber et.al. (1989)’s modification of the Redlich-Kwong EOS) with the Huron-Vidal mixing rule. Three ionic terms were added to this equation – a short-range ionic term, a long-range ionic term (MSA) and a Born term. The thermodynamic model has the advantage that it reduces to a standard cubic equation of state if no ions are present in the solution, and that public available interaction parameters used in the Huron-Vidal mixing rule could be utilized. The originality of this electrolyte equation of state is the use of the Huron-Vidal mixing rule and the addition of a Born term. Compared to electrolyte models based on equations for the gibbs excess energy, the electrolyte equation of state has the advantage that the extrapolation to higher pressures and solubility calculations of supercritical components is less cumbersome. The electrolyte equation of state was able to correlate and predict equilibrium properties of CO2-MDEA-water solutions with a good precision. It was also able to correlate high pressure data of systems of methane-CO2-MDEA and water. The second thermodynamic model (electrolyte CPA-EOS) evaluated in this work is a model where the molecular interactions are modelled with the CPA (cubic plus association) equation of state (Kontogeorgios et.al., 1999) with a classical one-parameter Van der Walls mixing rule. This model has the advantage that few binary interaction parameters have to be used (even for non-ideal solutions), and that its extrapolation capability to higher pressures is expected to be good. In the CPA model the same ionic terms are used as in the electrolyte ScRK-EOS. A general non-equilibrium two-fluid model was implemented in the simulation program developed in this work. The heat- and mass-transfer calculations were done using an advanced multicomponent mass transfer model based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The mass transfer model is flexible and able to simulate many types of non-equilibrium processes we find in the petroleum industry. A model for reactive mass transfer using enhancement factors was implemented for the calculation of mass transfer of CO2 into amine solutions. The mass transfer model was fitted to the available mass transfer data found in the open literature. The simulation program was used to analyse and perform parameter fitting to the high pressure experimental data obtained during this work. The mathematical models used in NeqSim were capable of representing the experimental data of this work with a good precision. From the experimental and modelling work done, we could conclude that the mass transfer model regressed to pure low-pressure data also was able to represent the high-pressure mass transfer data with an acceptable precision. Thus the extrapolation capability of the model to high pressures was good. For a given partial pressure of CO2 in the natural gas, calculations show a decreased CO2 capturing capacity of aqueous MDEA solutions at increased natural gas system pressure. A reduction up to 40% (at 200 bar) compared to low pressure capacity is estimated. The pressure effects can be modelled correctly by using suitable thermodynamic models for the liquid and gas. In a practical situation, the partial pressure of CO2 in the natural gas will be proportional to the total pressure. In these situations, it is shown that the CO2 capturing capacity of the MDEA solution will be increased at rising total pressures up to 200 bar. However, the increased capacity is not as large as we would expect from the higher CO2 partial pressure in the gas. The reaction kinetics of CO2 with MDEA is shown to be relatively unaffected by the total pressure when nitrogen is used as inert gas. It is however important that the effects of thermodynamic and kinetic non- ideality in the gas and liquid phase are modelled in a consistent way. Using the simulation program NeqSim – some selected high-pressure non-equilibrium processes (e.g. absorption, pipe flow) have been studied. It is demonstrated that the model is capable of simulating equilibrium- and non-equilibrium processes important to the process- and petroleum industry.

Les méthodes hybrides alliant la mécanique quantique et la mécanique moléculaire (QM/MM) sont des outils adéquats pour traiter des systèmes biologiques. Les phénomènes électroniques souvent étudiés sur des petites molécules ont, dès lors pu être envisagés dans des environnements macromoléculaires. Ce travail explore trois phénomènes électroniques en présence d'un environnement protéique: l'absorption, la capture électronique et les ionisations de coeur. Nous avons employé les derniers développements de la méthode QM/MM {Local Self-Consistent Field} (LSCF) pour traiter la jonction covalente entre la partie QM et la partie MM ainsi que le couplage QM/MM avec le PCM. En premier lieu, nous nous sommes focalisés sur les spectres d'absorption de chromophores présents dans des macromolécules. Nous avons mis au point un couplage entre les méthodes LSCF/MM et PCM pour prendre en compte la polarisation électronique de l'environnement suite à l'absorption d'un photon par le chromophore. Ce modèle, le LSCF/MM\string:ERS, a été testé et validé sur le spectre d'absorption du complexe de squaraine-tétralactame. Une étude plus poussée a ensuite été réalisée sur une protéine fluorescente en décomposant la longueur d'onde d'absorption maximale en trois contributions physiques. Les effets de la substitution du chromophore ont aussi été évalués. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons étudié la capture électronique par un cyclotide contenant trois ponts disulfures, qui, après irradiation, forment des demi-liaisons caractéristiques (2c-3e). La dernière partie est consacrée à la validation de l'approche de la projection asymptotique. Elle a été réalisée dans le cadre d'une étude sur les ionisations de coeur d'un ensemble de molécules pour, par la suite, étudier les ionisations de coeur de la glycine présentes dans des systèmes de plus en plus complexes jusqu'à la Sérum-Albumine Humaine. / Hybrid methods that combine quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) provide a near-ideal treatment of biological system reactivity and spectroscopy. Many electronic phenomena often studied on small systems can be now forseen in macromolecular surroundings. This work considers the treatment with QM/MM tools of three electronic phenomena in biosystem: absoprtion, electronic attachment and core ionization. Latest developments of the Local Self-Consistent Field formalism (LSCF) have been used to treat delicate covalent junctions between the QM part and the MM part and the coupling of QM/MM and PCM methods. Firstly we have focussed on absorption spectra of chromophores embedded in macromolecules. The combined LSCF/MM and PCM approach have been employed to account for the electronic polarization when the chromophore absorbs one photon. This new method, called LSCF/MM\string:ERS has been tested and validated with the study of the absorption spectra on the squarain-tetralactam complex. Then, we have considered a fluorescent protein and decomposed the maximum absorption wavelength into several physical contributions. We have also analyzed the substitution effect of the chromophore. Secondly, the electronic capture have been studied on a cyclotide containing three disulfide bonds, which forms caracteristic hemi-bond (2c-3e) after irradiation. The last electronic phenomena studied is the core ionization tackled within the framework of the asymptotic projection approach. The latter has been implemented, then tested and validated on a set of molecules. This method have been employed to analyze the specific core ionization of glycine-containing systemes of increasing complexity, up to the Human Serum Albumin

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Ce travail de thèse est consacré aux propriétés optiques de nanoparticules métalliques toroïdales. Le développement d'une méthode de résolution de l'équation de Laplace en coordonnées toroïdales permet d'analyser les propriétés radiatives des nanoparticules toriques métalliques dans le cadre de l'électrostatique. L'étude sur la distribution spatiale des modes propres suggère que des nanotores métalliques peuvent soutenir un moment dipolaire magnétique tout en annulant la valeur du moment dipolaire électrique au fréquences optiques. Les expressions analytiques des sections efficaces de diffusion et d'extinction du tore sont également trouvées et comparées à des simulations numériques et des résultats expérimentaux obtenus dans le cadre de collaborations. La sensibilité de la fréquence de résonance plasmon à l'indice de réfraction du milieu extérieur ainsi qu'au facteur de forme est mis en évidence.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

For the automotive sector, plastics play the most important role when designing interior and exterior parts for cars. Currently, most parts are made from petroleum-based plastics but alternatives are needed to replace environmentally harmful materials while providing the appropriate mechanical performance and preferably reduce the cost for the final product. The objective of this work was to explore the use of soy flakes as natural filler in a composite with polypropylene and to investigate the mechanical properties, water absorption and thermal behaviour. For a better understanding of the filler, the soy flakes were characterized extensively with analytical and microscopic methods. Two types of soy fillers were investigated, soy flakes, provided by Bunge Inc., with a 48 wt-% protein content and an industrial soy based filler with 44 wt-% protein content and provided by Ford. The size of the soy flakes after milling was mainly between 50 and 200 µm and below 50 µm for the industrial filler. The aspect ratio for all filler was below 5. The soy flakes were used after milling and subjected to two pre-treatment methods: (1) one hour in a 50 °C pH 9 water solution in a 1 : 9 solid-liquid ratio; (2) one hour in a 50 °C pH 9 1M NaCl solution in a 1 : 9 solid-liquid ratio. A control filler, without pre-treatment was considered. The soy flakes were also compared to an industrial soy based filler provided by Ford (soy flour (Ford)). The thermogravimetric analysis showed an onset of degradation at 170 °C for the treated filler (ISH2O and ISNaCl) and 160 °C for the untreated filler. The biocomposites formulation consisted of 30 wt-% filler, and polypropylene with/without 0.35 wt-% anti-oxidant Irganox 1010 and with/without the addition of MA-PP as coupling agent. All biocomposites were compounded in a mini-extruder, pressed into bars by injection moulding and tested subsequently. The mechanical properties of the biocomposites are promising. An increase of the E-modulus was observed when compared to pure polypropylene. The addition of MA-PP as coupling agent increased the yield strength of the biocomposites. When pure polypropylene and the biocomposites were compared no difference could be seen for their yield strength. The thermal behaviour deduced from differential scanning calorimetry, revealed a similar behaviour for the biocomposites and the pure polypropylene. Only the samples treated in the presence of NaCl and without a coupling agent, appear to have a slightly higher degree of crystallinity. The melt flow index was slightly increased for the biocomposites containing soy flakes pre-treated with NaCl and decreased for biocomposites containing the soy flour. The water absorption behaviour of the biocomposites was quite similar at the beginning with a slightly lower absorption for the materials with coupling agent. After three months, all samples except the ones treated with water showed a weight loss that can be due to the leaching of the water soluble components in the untreated filler and the NaCl treated filler. In conclusion, soy flakes represent an attractive filler when used in a polypropylene matrix if an aqueous alkaline pre-treatment is performed. The aqueous alkaline extraction also leads to the recovery of the proteins that can be used in food products while the remaining insoluble material is used for the biocomposites, avoiding the competition with the use of soy for food products...

For the automotive sector, plastics play the most important role when designing interior and exterior parts for cars. Currently, most parts are made from petroleum-based plastics but alternatives are needed to replace environmentally harmful materials while providing the appropriate mechanical performance and preferably reduce the cost for the final product. The objective of this work was to explore the use of soy flakes as natural filler in a composite with polypropylene and to investigate the mechanical properties, water absorption and thermal behaviour. For a better understanding of the filler, the soy flakes were characterized extensively with analytical and microscopic methods. Two types of soy fillers were investigated, soy flakes, provided by Bunge Inc., with a 48 wt-% protein content and an industrial soy based filler with 44 wt-% protein content and provided by Ford. The size of the soy flakes after milling was mainly between 50 and 200 µm and below 50 µm for the industrial filler. The aspect ratio for all filler was below 5. The soy flakes were used after milling and subjected to two pre-treatment methods: (1) one hour in a 50 °C pH 9 water solution in a 1 : 9 solid-liquid ratio; (2) one hour in a 50 °C pH 9 1M NaCl solution in a 1 : 9 solid-liquid ratio. A control filler, without pre-treatment was considered. The soy flakes were also compared to an industrial soy based filler provided by Ford (soy flour (Ford)). The thermogravimetric analysis showed an onset of degradation at 170 °C for the treated filler (ISH2O and ISNaCl) and 160 °C for the untreated filler. The biocomposites formulation consisted of 30 wt-% filler, and polypropylene with/without 0.35 wt-% anti-oxidant Irganox 1010 and with/without the addition of MA-PP as coupling agent. All biocomposites were compounded in a mini-extruder, pressed into bars by injection moulding and tested subsequently. The mechanical properties of the biocomposites are promising. An increase of the E-modulus was observed when compared to pure polypropylene. The addition of MA-PP as coupling agent increased the yield strength of the biocomposites. When pure polypropylene and the biocomposites were compared no difference could be seen for their yield strength. The thermal behaviour deduced from differential scanning calorimetry, revealed a similar behaviour for the biocomposites and the pure polypropylene. Only the samples treated in the presence of NaCl and without a coupling agent, appear to have a slightly higher degree of crystallinity. The melt flow index was slightly increased for the biocomposites containing soy flakes pre-treated with NaCl and decreased for biocomposites containing the soy flour. The water absorption behaviour of the biocomposites was quite similar at the beginning with a slightly lower absorption for the materials with coupling agent. After three months, all samples except the ones treated with water showed a weight loss that can be due to the leaching of the water soluble components in the untreated filler and the NaCl treated filler. In conclusion, soy flakes represent an attractive filler when used in a polypropylene matrix if an aqueous alkaline pre-treatment is performed. The aqueous alkaline extraction also leads to the recovery of the proteins that can be used in food products while the remaining insoluble material is used for the biocomposites, avoiding the competition with the use of soy for food products...

Cette thèse est consacrée à l’étude des propriétés optiques et optoélectroniques autour de la bande interdite directe des structures à puits quantiques Ge/SiGe pour la modulation, la photodétection et l’émission de lumière sur la plateforme silicium. Les principaux composants réalisés sont : un modulateur optique en guide d’onde, rapide et à faible puissance électrique, basé sur l’Effet Stark Confiné Quantiquement, les premières photodiodes Ge/SiGe dont le comportement fréquentiel est compatible avec les transmissions de données à 40 Gbit/s, et la première diode à électroluminescence à puits quantiques Ge/SiGe, base sur la transition directe de ces structures et fonctionnant à température ambiante. Les caractérisations statiques et fréquentielles ont été réalisées sur l’ensemble des composants, qui ont tous été fabriqués avec la même structure épitaxiée et les mêmes procédés de fabrication. Des modèles théoriques simples ont ensuite été utilisés pour décrire analyser les comportements observés. Finalement les études menées permettent de conclure que les structures à puits quantiques Ge/SiGe sont un candidat de choix pour la réalisation d’une nouvelle plateforme photonique à haut débit, totalement compatible avec les technologies silicium. / This PhD thesis is devoted to study electro-optic properties of Gemanium/Silicon-Germanium (Ge/SiGe) multiple quantum wells (MQWs) for light modulation, detection, and emission on Si platform. It reports the first development of high speed, low energy Ge/SiGe electro-absorption modulator in a waveguide configuration based on the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE), demonstrates the first Ge/SiGe photodiode with high speed performance compatible with 40 Gb/s data transmission, and realizes the first Ge/SiGe light emitting diode based on Ge direct gap transition at room temperature. Extensive DC and RF measurements were performed on each tested prototype, which was realized using the same epitaxial growth and fabrication process. Simple theoretical models were employed to describe experimental properties of the Ge/SiGe MQWs. The studies show that Ge/SiGe MQWs could potentially be employed as a new photonics platform for the development of a high speed optical link fully compatible with silicon technology.