Increased sensitivity through maximizing the extinction ratio of SOI delay-interferometer receiver for 10G DPSK

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Communications
• Integrated Optics
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Differential-phase-shift-keyed (DPSK) receivers are crucial for high-speed optical communication systems.
• Existing designs often face limitations in sensitivity due to waveguide propagation losses.
• Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology offers a platform for compact and efficient photonic integrated circuits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an optimized design for a 10G-DPSK receiver.
• To overcome sensitivity limitations caused by waveguide propagation losses.
• To achieve enhanced receiver performance with reduced footprint and low power consumption.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) unbalanced tunable Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) switch.
• Integrating a Mach-Zehnder delay interferometer (MZDI) in sequence with the MZI switch.
• Employing microheaters for wavelength tuning and fixed-wavelength operation.
• Designing compact spiral waveguides to minimize device footprint.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 2.3 dB increase in receiver sensitivity at a bit-error-rate (BER) of 10⁻⁹ compared to standard designs.
• Demonstrated zero power consumption for wavelength tuning or <5 mW for fixed-wavelength operation.
• Minimized the device footprint to 0.11 mm² through the use of compact spirals.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SOI-based DPSK receiver design effectively enhances sensitivity by mitigating waveguide propagation loss effects.
• The optimized design offers a significant improvement in receiver performance with reduced power consumption and a compact footprint.
• This advancement is valuable for next-generation high-speed optical communication systems.