Giant Raman gain in annealed silicon-rich silicon oxide films: Measurements at 785 nm

Stimulated Raman scattering in silicon-rich silicon oxide (SiOx, x < 2) films annealed at 1200 °C is measured with excitation at 785 nm. Our main objective is to confirm giant Raman gain, recently reported in annealed SiOx films for excitation at ∼1500 nm. Another important aspect is the possibility of using SiOx films for the realization of a Raman laser in the visible region. The measurements were performed in the backscattering geometry in a Raman microscope. As a result, the observed Raman gain is orders of magnitude greater than in crystalline silicon.