Experimental Study on Mechanical and Electromagnetic Properties of Novel Silicon Photonic Devices

In this Thesis dissertation I have described the outcomes of an extensive set of simulative and experimental analyses carried out on strained-silicon micrometric and nanomentric structures and devices for photonic applications. The scope of this study was to perform a thorough analysis on the novel material properties, as well as to develop accurate and reliable simulative models for the design of photonic devices based on strained silicon technology, and assess the possible use of innovative experimental techniques for the strain measurement in photonic structures. In addition, this analysis allowed us to estimate the quality of the nanofabrication processes and techniques employed for the manufacturing of the devices.