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A high-speed, tunable silicon photonic ring modulator integrated with ultra-efficient active wavelength control
Optics Express
|June 13, 2014
Summary
We developed a 10G silicon photonic ring modulator with an integrated CMOS driver and wavelength control. This device achieves stable wavelength locking and efficient active tracking, showcasing advancements in silicon photonics technology.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Integrated Optics
- Semiconductor Devices
Background:
- Silicon photonics enables high-speed optical communication.
- Ring modulators are key components for optical modulation.
- Efficient driver and wavelength control are crucial for stable operation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first complete 10G silicon photonic ring modulator.
- To integrate an ultra-efficient CMOS driver and closed-loop wavelength control.
- To enhance ring tuning efficiency and achieve stable wavelength locking.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a selective substrate removal technique to improve ring tuning efficiency.
- Integrated an ultra-efficient CMOS driver and a mixed-signal closed-loop controller.
- Characterized the modulator's performance, including tuning range and wavelength tracking.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 10G silicon photonic ring modulator with integrated driver and control.
- Demonstrated a maximum open-loop tuning range of ~4.5nm with ~14mW tuning power.
- Attained stable wavelength locking with a low-power controller.
- Showcased an active wavelength tracking range of >500GHz with 20fJ/bit energy cost.
Conclusions:
- The developed silicon photonic ring modulator offers efficient and stable operation.
- The integrated CMOS driver and closed-loop control enable high-performance optical modulation.
- This work advances silicon photonics for high-speed communication applications.
