Graphene Photonics I/Q Modulator for Advanced Modulation Formats

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Silicon photonics
• Graphene photonics

Background:

• Optical communication bandwidth demand is increasing, driving exploration of new applications like chip-to-chip interconnections.
• Coherent modulation formats, traditionally for long-haul, are considered for short links to boost bandwidth density.
• Next-generation transceivers require high bandwidth, energy efficiency, compact size, and low cost, with silicon photonics as a key enabling technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of silicon modulators (bandwidth, footprint) for next-generation transceivers.
• To integrate graphene's unique properties (high mobility, fast dynamics, broadband) with silicon photonics.
• To demonstrate coherent modulation using graphene photonics for higher data rates.

Main Methods:

• Development of the first graphene photonics I/Q modulator.
• Utilizing four graphene on silicon electro-absorption modulators.
• Demonstration of Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a graphene photonics I/Q modulator.
• Achieved Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation at data rates up to 40 Gb/s.
• Paved the way for coherent modulation in graphene photonics.

Conclusions:

• Graphene is an ideal material for integration with silicon photonics to meet next-generation transceiver requirements.
• The developed graphene photonics I/Q modulator enables advanced modulation formats for higher bandwidth optical communication.
• This work represents a significant advancement in graphene photonics for high-speed coherent communication systems.