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Design of a silicon-based field-effect electro-optic modulator with enhanced light-charge interaction
Rohan D Kekatpure1, Mark L Brongersma, Rohit S Shenoy
1Geballe Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. rohank@stanford.edu
Optics Letters
|September 1, 2005
Summary
We developed a novel silicon optical modulator design for enhanced light-charge interaction. This design achieves a high extinction ratio with low voltage, making it compatible with semiconductor manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Semiconductor Devices
- Integrated Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Optical modulators are crucial components in optical communication systems.
- Existing silicon modulators face challenges in achieving high performance and low power consumption.
- Efficient light-matter interaction is key to improving modulator performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and model a new all-silicon field-effect optical modulator.
- To enhance light-charge interaction for improved modulation efficiency.
- To achieve compatibility with standard semiconductor fabrication processes.
Main Methods:
- Design of an all-silicon modulator utilizing a ring resonator geometry.
- Finite-element method (FEM) simulations to model device performance.
- Optimization of the relative placement of charge layers and optical modes in waveguides.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated an order-of-magnitude enhancement in light-charge interaction.
- Achieved a >7 dB extinction ratio with a low voltage swing of 2 V.
- The design shows significant improvement over previous literature predictions.
Conclusions:
- The proposed design offers a highly efficient silicon optical modulator.
- Low voltage operation makes it suitable for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology.
- This advancement paves the way for more compact and power-efficient optical devices.