Broadband microwave photonic fully tunable filter using a single heterogeneously integrated III-V/SOI-microdisk-based...

Area of Science:

• Photonics and optical engineering
• Semiconductor device physics
• Microwave engineering

Background:

• Microwave photonic devices are crucial for high-frequency signal processing.
• Tunable phase shifters are essential components in advanced microwave systems.
• Integrating dissimilar materials like III-V semiconductors and silicon photonics offers unique device capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel broadband microwave photonic phase shifter.
• To demonstrate carrier-injection-based tuning of phase shifts.
• To evaluate the device's performance in tunable filtering applications.

Main Methods:

• Heterogeneous integration of a III-V microdisk resonator with a silicon-on-insulator waveguide.
• Utilizing carrier injection to modify the effective refractive index for phase tuning.
• Developing and validating a semi-analytical model for device behavior prediction.
• Experimental demonstration of phase shifts and tunable filtering.

Main Results:

• Achieved quasi-linear and continuously tunable 2π phase shifts at radio frequencies > 18 GHz.
• Demonstrated distortion-free and wideband tunable filtering with ~100% tuning range over the free spectral range.
• Validated the predictive accuracy of the developed semi-analytical model through experimental measurements.

Conclusions:

• The reported III-V/SiN photonic phase shifter offers significant potential for high-frequency signal modulation.
• The device enables efficient and wideband tunable filtering, crucial for next-generation communication systems.
• The heterogeneous integration approach provides a viable platform for advanced microwave photonic devices.