Silicon optical modulators

Optical technology is poised to revolutionise short reach interconnects. The leading candidate technology is silicon photonics, and the workhorse of such interconnect is the optical modulator. Modulators have been improved dramatically in recent years. Most notably the bandwidth has increased from the MHz to the multi GHz regime in little more than half a decade. However, the demands of optical interconnect are significant, and many questions remain unanswered as to whether silicon can meet the required performance metrics. Minimising metrics such as the energy per bit, and device footprint, whilst maximising bandwidth and modulation depth are non trivial demands. All of this must be achieved with acceptable thermal tolerance and optical spectral width, using CMOS compatible fabrication processes. Here we discuss the techniques that have, and will, be used to implement silicon optical modulators, as well as the outlook for these devices, and the candidate solutions of the future

Design of Ge/SiGe quantum-confined Stark effect electroabsorption heterostructures for CMOS compatible photonics

We describe a combined 6×6 k.p and one-band effective mass modelling tool to calculate absorption spectra in Ge–SiGe multiple quantum well (MQW) heterostructures. We find good agreement with experimentally measured absorption spectra of Ge–SiGe MQW structures described previously in the literature, proving its predictive capability, and the simulation tool is used for the analysis and design of electroabsorption modulators. We employ strain-engineering in Ge–SiGe MQW systems to design structures for modulation at 1310 nm and 1550 nm

Electro-Optic and Electro-absorption characterization of InAs quantum dot waveguides

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Abstract Optical properties of multilayer InAs quantum dot waveguides, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, have been studied under applied electric field. Fabry-Perot measurements at 1515 nm on InAs/GaAs quantum dot structures yield a significantly enhanced linear electro-optic efficiency compared to bulk GaAs. Electro-absorption measurements at 1300 nm showed increased absorption with applied field accompanied with red shift of the spectra. Spectral shifts of up to 21% under 18 Volt bias was observed at 1320 nm. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America

Wavelength-multiplexed duplex transceiver based on III-V/Si hybrid integration for off-chip and on-chip optical interconnects

A six-channel wavelength-division-multiplexed optical transceiver with a compact footprint of 1.5 x 0.65 mm(2) for off-chip and on-chip interconnects is demonstrated on a single silicon-on-insulator chip. An arrayed waveguide grating is used as the (de)multiplexer, and III-V electroabsorption sections fabricated by hybrid integration technology are used as both modulators and detectors, which also enable duplex links. The 30-Gb/s capacity for each of the six wavelength channels for the off-chip transceiver is demonstrated. For the on-chip interconnect, an electrical-to-electrical 3-dB bandwidth of 13 GHz and a data rate of 30 Gb/s per wavelength are achieved

Photonics Integrations Enabling High-end Applications Of Inp In Optical Data Transmissions

We present here results from a uniquely designed InP modulator chip combined with advanced packaging concepts, which enables high-end applications in optical data communications. An electroabsorption (EA) modulator, with a strained InGaAsP or InGaAlAs multiple quantum well structure, is monolithically integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier. This design offers broad wavelength tunability while maintaining high extinction ratio, high optical output power, and high dispersion tolerance. The amplified EA modulator chip is co-packaged with a distributed feed back (DFB) laser ensuring separate optimization of the laser and modulator sections. The optical isolator, placed between the laser and modulator, completely eliminates adiabatic chirp. This Telcordia-qualified laser integrated modulator platform enables superior performance previously not thought possible for InP absorption based modulators. 11 dB of dynamic extinction ratio, 5dBm of modulated output power, and ±1200ps/nm or +1600ps/nm dispersion tolerance can be simultaneously achieved in un-amplified 10Gb/s data transmission. Full C-band tunability using a single device is also demonstrated with the LIM module. Extensive simulations and transmission system evaluations shows that with the controllable chirp, the cost-effective LIM performs as well as a Mach-Zehnder modulator in dispersion managed and amplified long-haul WDM systems. Lastly, the first uncooled 10Gb/s long-reach operation at 1550nm was demonstrated with LIM packages. Using a simple control algorithm, a constant modulated output power of IdBm with less than IdB dispersion penalty over 1600ps/nm single mode fiber is achieved in an 80 degrees environmental temperature range without any module temperature control. Utilizing the Al-based material system, also allows a reduced variation of the extinction ratio.6013Kaminow, I.P., Koch, T.L., (1997) Optical Fiber Telecommunications IIIA, , San Diego CA: Academic PressChoi, W., Bond, A.E., Kim, J., Zhang, J., Jambunathan, R., Foulk, H., O'Brien, S., Cao, H., Low insertion loss and low dispersion penalty InGaAsP quantum well high speed electroabsorption modulators (2002) IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technologies, 20, pp. 2052-2056Choi, W., Frateschi, N., Zhang, J., Gebretsadik, H., Jambunathan, R., Bond, A.E., Van Norman, J., Wanamaker, C., Full C-band tunable high fiber output power electroabsorption modulator integrated with semiconductor optical amplifier (2003) Electronics Letters, 39, p. 1271. , 2003Zhang, L., Cao, X.D., Long haul transmission using electro-absorption modulators (2002) Technical Proceeding of NFOEC'2002, p. 1204. , paper P447www.vpiphotonics.comMikhailov, V., Killey, R.I., Prat, J., Bayvel, P., Limitation to WDM transmission distance due to cross-phase modulation induced spectral broadening in dispersion compensated standard fiber systems (1999) IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., 11, pp. 994-996Zhang, J., Frateschi, N., Choi, W., Gebretsadik, H., Jambunathan, R., Bond, A.E., A laser integrated modulator module for uncooled, 10Gbit/s 1550 nm long reach data transmission (2003) Electronics Letters, 39, pp. 1841-1842Frateschi, N.C., Zhang, J., Choi, W.J., Gebretsadik, H., Jambunathan, R., Bond, A.E., High performance uncooled C-band, 10 Gb/s InGaAlAs MQW electro-absorption modulator integrated to Semiconductor Amplifier in Laser integrated modules (2004) Electronics Letters, 40, pp. 140-141. , JanFrateschi, N.C., Zhang, J., Jambunathan, R., Choi, W.J., Ebert, C., Bond, A.E., Long reach uncooled performance of 10 Gb/s Laser integrated modules with InGaAlAs/InP and InGaAsP/InP MQW electroabsorption modulators monolithically integrated with Semiconductor Amplifiers IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., 17, pp. 1378-138

Electro-optic routing of photons from single quantum dots in photonic integrated circuits

Recent breakthroughs in solid-state photonic quantum technologies enable generating and detecting single photons with near-unity efficiency as required for a range of photonic quantum technologies. The lack of methods to simultaneously generate and control photons within the same chip, however, has formed a main obstacle to achieving efficient multi-qubit gates and to harness the advantages of chip-scale quantum photonics. Here we propose and demonstrate an integrated voltage-controlled phase shifter based on the electro-optic effect in suspended photonic waveguides with embedded quantum emitters. The phase control allows building a compact Mach-Zehnder interferometer with two orthogonal arms, taking advantage of the anisotropic electro-optic response in gallium arsenide. Photons emitted by single self-assembled quantum dots can be actively routed into the two outputs of the interferometer. These results, together with the observed sub-microsecond response time, constitute a significant step towards chip-scale single-photon-source de-multiplexing, fiber-loop boson sampling, and linear optical quantum computing.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figues + supplementary informatio

Monolithic integration of photonic devices for use in a regrowth-free coherent WDM transmitter

In this communication age, consumer internet traffic continues to grow at an exponential rate year on year. As a result, networks need to be continually upgraded to keep up with ever increasing bandwidth demands. Diverse research is currently being undertaken at a global level to produce cost effective solutions to maximize network performance. One such area focuses on the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), striving to replicated the same compact design and low power consumption achieved in the electronics industry. However, photonic components are more complex and diverse than their electrical equivalents, such as transistors. As these components can have large footprints, involve multiple electrical contacts and require different material properties for optimal performance, the best approach is not obvious when cost is considered. While platforms such as heterogenous integration and monolithic regrowth have produced PICs with advance functionality, they rely on complex fabrication processes which increase production time and cost. As a result, this thesis proposes a monolithic regrowth-free design for a coherent WDM transmitter which requires less sophisticated fabrication techniques and would therefore be more cost effective to manufacture than alternative methods. The work began with the development of suitable processes for the fabrication of DC and high-speed components associated with the transmitter. Utilizing the associated composite hard mask process, the integration of core components required for the coherent WDM transmitter was undertaken. The monolithic integration of a 1x2 multimode interference coupler, two slotted Fabry-Perot (SFP) lasers, two electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) and a star coupler was demonstrated using regrowth free epitaxy and UV contact lithography. The feasibility of integrating an SFP laser with an EAM by means of injection locking was also investigated, resulting in the production of a 2.5 Gbps eye diagram. It was shown that the high-speed performance of these PICs could be improved by using more advanced modulator designs. As a result, this thesis concludes with an investigation of high speed modulators with the aim of to increase the data rate of the developed PICs. An integratable electroabsorption modulator with a 3 dB bandwidth of 17.5 GHz and a corresponding 12.5 Gbps eye diagram was realized