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25Gb/s hybrid silicon switch using a capacitively loaded traveling wave electrode
Hui-Wen Chen1, Ying-hao Kuo, John E Bowers
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. hwchen@ece.ucsb.edu
Optics Express
|February 23, 2010
Summary
We developed a hybrid silicon modulator and switch that achieves 25 Gb/s speeds with a 10 dB extinction ratio. This device offers a low voltage-length product for the modulator and rapid switching with minimal crosstalk.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated optics
- Semiconductor devices
Background:
- High-speed optical communication systems require efficient and compact modulators and switches.
- Silicon photonics offers a promising platform for integrating optical and electronic functions on a single chip.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel hybrid silicon modulator and switch.
- To evaluate the performance of the device in terms of speed, extinction ratio, and switching characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a hybrid silicon device integrating modulator and switch functionalities.
- Experimental characterization of the device's electro-optic performance at high data rates.
Main Results:
- Achieved operation up to 25 Gb/s with an extinction ratio exceeding 10 dB.
- Modulator exhibited a voltage-length product of 2.4 V-mm.
- Switch demonstrated a switching time below 35 ps and crosstalk below -12 dB.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated hybrid silicon modulator and switch is suitable for high-speed optical communication applications.
- The device shows excellent performance metrics, including high speed, good extinction ratio, and fast switching.
- This work contributes to the advancement of integrated silicon photonic devices for next-generation networks.
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