Reconfigurable hybrid silicon waveguide Bragg filter using ultralow-loss phase-change material

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Reconfigurable silicon photonic devices are crucial for advanced optical systems.
• Hybrid integration with phase-change materials (PCMs) offers tunable optical properties.
• Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) exhibits significant refractive index contrast between amorphous and crystalline states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and numerically investigate a Sb2Se3-Si hybrid waveguide Bragg filter.
• To demonstrate dynamic spectral response tuning using Sb2Se3 PCMs.
• To explore the feasibility of voltage-controlled phase transitions in Sb2Se3 for optical applications.

Main Methods:

• Numerical investigation of a Sb2Se3-Si hybrid waveguide Bragg filter on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform.
• Utilizing the evanescent field interaction between the silicon waveguide mode and Sb2Se3 film.
• Theoretical analysis of reversible phase transitions (amorphous to crystalline) in Sb2Se3 induced by voltage pulses.

Main Results:

• The proposed hybrid Bragg grating shows dynamic tunability of spectral response.
• Reversible phase transitions in Sb2Se3 are achieved via voltage pulses (2V/400ns for crystallization, 4.5V/55ns for amorphization).
• The device operates in the telecom C-band with ultralow-loss characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The Sb2Se3-Si hybrid Bragg filter is a promising platform for reconfigurable silicon photonics.
• Voltage-controlled phase transitions in Sb2Se3 enable dynamic tuning of optical filters.
• This technology holds potential for on-chip phase-tunable devices.