Characteristics of electro-refractive modulating based on Graphene-Oxide-Silicon waveguide

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Graphene exhibits remarkable electronic and optical properties, driving significant research interest.
• Optical conductivity of materials is crucial for photonic device applications.
• Graphene-oxide-silicon (GOS) structures are explored for integrated photonic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the voltage-tunable optical conductivity of graphene.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of graphene-based electro-refractive modulators.
• To present a novel Mach-Zender interferometer design utilizing GOS structures for on-chip optical communications.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis based on the Kubo formalism and Maxwell equations.
• Fabrication and characterization of graphene-oxide-silicon waveguides.
• Design and simulation of a graphene-based electro-refractive Mach-Zender interferometer.

Main Results:

• Graphene's optical conductivity can be effectively controlled by applied voltage.
• GOS waveguides can function as either electro-absorptive or electron-refractive modulators.
• A novel GOS-based electro-refractive Mach-Zender interferometer was successfully designed.

Conclusions:

• Voltage-controlled optical conductivity in graphene is achievable.
• Graphene-based GOS structures offer versatile modulation capabilities for photonic applications.
• The proposed electro-refractive modulation mechanism paves the way for advanced on-chip optical communication systems.