Fast and low-power thermooptic switch on thin silicon-on-insulator

Espinola, Richard L.; Tsai, Ming-Chun; Yardley, James T.; Osgood, Richard M.

doi:10.1109/lpt.2003.818246

Cited by 255 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Different technologies could be applied to route optical signals, applications of which depend on the topology of the optical network and the switching speed required [1]. The main contemporary routers are made using micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) [2] and acousto-optical [3], thermo-optical [4], magneto-optical [5] and electro-optical (EO) [6] devices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

1 × 2 Optical Router With Control of Output Power Level Using Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells

Pinzón

Pérez

Vázquez

et al. 2012

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

1 × 2 Optical Router With Control of Output Power Level Using Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells

Pinzón

Pérez

Vázquez

et al. 2012

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

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“…In practical devices, it is possible to control ∆φ electronically, through the application of an electric field or current. For example, electrooptic [12], thermooptic [13], or free carrier dispersion [14] effects may be utilized to control ∆φ . The reduction in the phase shift required for ON-OFF switching shown in Fig.…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybrid InGaAsP-InP Mach-Zehnder Racetrack Resonator for Thermooptic Switching and Coupling Control

Green¹,

Lee²,

DeRose³

et al. 2005

Opt. Express

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An InGaAsP-InP optical switch geometry based on electrical control of waveguide-resonator coupling is demonstrated. Thermooptic tuning of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer integrated with a racetrack resonator is shown to result in switching with ON-OFF contrast up to 18.5 dB. The optical characteristics of this unique design enable a substantial reduction of the switching power, to a value of 26 mW in comparison with 40 mW for a conventional Mach-Zehnder interferometer switch. Modulation response measurements reveal a 3 dB bandwidth of 400 kHz and a rise time of 1.8 µs, comparing favorably with current state-of-the-art thermooptic switches.

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“…Thermo-optics is the simplest way. However, drawbacks-such as the response times in the μs range [8], the thermal cross talk, and the large power consumption due to the continuous current flow-hamper its assembly in high-speed optical data links. On the other hand, the response time can be greatly enhanced by exploiting the FCD effect through carrier injection or depletion [7].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultracompact electro-optic phase modulator based on III-V-on-silicon microdisk resonator

et al. 2012

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A novel ultracompact electro-optic phase modulator based on a single 9 μm-diameter III-V microdisk resonator heterogeneously integrated on and coupled to a nanophotonic waveguide is presented. Modulation is enabled by effective index modification through carrier injection. Proof-of-concept implementation involving binary phase shift keying modulation format is assembled. A power imbalance of ∼0.6 dB between both symbols and a modulation rate up to 1.8 Gbps are demonstrated without using any special driving technique. © 2012 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 130.0250, 060.5060.Phase modulation represents a key functionality in nextgeneration optical networks. To date, several approaches integrated on different technology platforms have been reported [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Among them, those based on silicon-oninsulator (SOI) are preferred due to the possibility of high-density integration, as well as complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatibility [7]. In silicon, phase modulation relies on controllable refractive index modification. The thermo-optic effect and the free-carrier dispersion (FCD) are the most commonly used mechanisms to implement tunable refractive index. Thermo-optics is the simplest way. However, drawbacks-such as the response times in the μs range [8], the thermal cross talk, and the large power consumption due to the continuous current flow-hamper its assembly in high-speed optical data links. On the other hand, the response time can be greatly enhanced by exploiting the FCD effect through carrier injection or depletion [7]. Carrier-depletion-based approaches can reach operation speeds of several hundreds of megabits per second. Yet large interaction lengths owing to the small light confinement in the depletion region are required. This fact in combination with an optical absorption increase provided by the carrier extraction, result in a modest power handling [9]. Regarding carrier injection, the response time is limited by the carrier recombination process in silicon, i.e., a few nanoseconds [10]. Nevertheless, the modulation efficiency is improved compared to that obtained by carrier depletion, since extra loss derived from light absorption is avoided. In order to enhance the modulation speed in FCD-based schemes, a special driving technique known as preemphasis can be used [11]. As a consequence, the speed of on-off-keyed modulated signals has been pushed up to 18 Gbps when using carrier depletion in microrings [12]. Aiming at improving the sensitivity and robustness against nonlinear effects, advanced modulation formats can be implemented. Recently, error-free transmission of differential-phase-shift-keyed modulated signals at 5 Gbps exploiting carrier depletion with preemphasis in silicon microrings has been demonstrated [13]. Hybrid approaches consisting of bonding active III-V materials on top of SOI circuits represent a feasible solution in order to enhance the modulating performance [14,15]. Inherent dynamics in semiconductor materials is faster than in silicon. In particular, ...

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Fast and low-power thermooptic switch on thin silicon-on-insulator

Cited by 255 publications

References 15 publications

1 × 2 Optical Router With Control of Output Power Level Using Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells

1 × 2 Optical Router With Control of Output Power Level Using Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Cells

Hybrid InGaAsP-InP Mach-Zehnder Racetrack Resonator for Thermooptic Switching and Coupling Control

Ultracompact electro-optic phase modulator based on III-V-on-silicon microdisk resonator

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