A comb laser-driven DWDM silicon photonic transmitter based on microring modulators

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Communications
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) is crucial for high-capacity optical networks.
• Silicon photonics offers a scalable platform for integrated optical devices.
• Efficient multi-channel transmitters are needed to meet growing data demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a high-speed, multi-channel DWDM silicon photonic transmitter.
• To integrate a quantum dot comb laser with microring resonator modulators.
• To evaluate the performance and channel spacing of the developed transmitter.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a single quantum dot comb laser to generate multiple wavelengths.
• Employed an array of microring resonator-based modulators for signal modulation.
• Thermally tuned the resonant wavelengths of microrings to match the comb laser's output.
• Transmitted data at 10 Gbps per channel with 240 GHz channel spacing.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated concurrent multi-channel transmission at 10 Gbps per channel.
• Achieved precise wavelength alignment between the comb laser and modulators via thermal tuning.
• Observed no significant crosstalk between channels at a 240 GHz spacing.

Conclusions:

• The developed DWDM silicon photonic transmitter is a viable solution for high-capacity optical communication systems.
• The integration of quantum dot comb lasers and microring resonators enables efficient multi-channel transmission.
• The demonstrated performance validates the potential of silicon photonics for future optical networks.