Si racetrack optical modulator based on the III-V/Si hybrid MOS capacitor.

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Materials Science
• Integrated Photonics

Background:

• Silicon photonics offers a scalable platform for optical devices.
• Hybrid integration of III-V materials with silicon is crucial for advanced optoelectronic functions.
• Optical modulators are key components in high-speed data transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel silicon racetrack optical modulator.
• To integrate a III-V/Si hybrid metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor as an optical phase shifter.
• To evaluate the modulator's performance in terms of driving voltage and energy efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a silicon racetrack resonator with specific coupling length and gap.
• Integration of a III-V/Si hybrid MOS capacitor as the phase shifter.
• Characterization of the optical modulator's performance, including VπL and modulation voltage.

Main Results:

• The fabricated silicon racetrack resonator demonstrated a low VπL of 0.059 Vcm.
• Achieved 10-dB optical intensity modulation with a 60% reduction in driving voltage compared to Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulators.
• The hybrid MOS structure enabled efficient phase shifting.

Conclusions:

• The III-V/Si hybrid MOS racetrack optical modulator offers superior energy efficiency.
• This technology presents a promising solution for high-performance optical modulation.
• The device balances high energy efficiency with a large modulation bandwidth.