Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
12:19
Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
Published on: April 4, 2017
Compact, flexible and versatile photonic differentiator using silicon Mach-Zehnder interferometers
Jianji Dong1, Aoling Zheng, Dingshan Gao
1Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
Optics Express
|April 3, 2013
Summary
We developed flexible photonic differentiators using silicon Mach-Zehnder Interferometers (MZIs). These devices can perform high-order field differentiation and multifunctional intensity differentiation with high accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated Optics
- Optical Signal Processing
Background:
- Photonic differentiators are crucial for optical signal processing.
- Existing methods often lack flexibility and compactness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate flexible and versatile photonic differentiators.
- To investigate silicon-based Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) structures for differentiation tasks.
Main Methods:
- Implementing cascaded MZIs for high-order field differentiators.
- Utilizing a single MZI with wavelength tuning for multifunctional differentiators.
Main Results:
- Achieved first-, second-, and third-order field differentiators with <6.5% deviation.
- Demonstrated multifunctional differentiators (intensity and field) using a single MZI.
- Showcased compact footprint and versatile differentiation capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Silicon-based MZIs offer a flexible and versatile platform for photonic differentiation.
- The proposed schemes enable generation of complex temporal waveforms and ultra-wideband pulses.
