Ultra-compact electro-absorption VO₂–Si modulator with TM to TE conversion

Abstract

An ultra-compact (6 μm length) electro-absorber modulator with transverse magnetic (TM) to transverse-electric (TE) conversion is proposed. The device performance is controlled by means of the semiconductor-to-metal transition of the vanadium dioxide. For the insulating state, the device performs as a TM–TE converter with insertion losses of 0.3 dB and extinction ratio of 36 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. Changing to the metallic state, the TE generated component is attenuated due to the increase of losses in the VO2 and the mode mismatch. This electro-absorber modulator shows a broadband operation with an extinction ratio higher than 10 dB and insertion losses below 0.5 dB for a range of 60 nm covering the whole C-band.

On-Chip Integrated Photonic Devices Based on Phase Change Materials

“…One bottleneck in the performance of VO 2 modulators is that the transverse electric (TE) polarized mode interacts weakly with them compared to the transverse magnetic (TM) mode. Some solutions have been proposed to avoid this problem such as using a vertical slot coupler with VO 2 active layer [151], delocalization of mode in a small waveguide [149], and using a modulator coupled with a compact mode converter to improve the modulation [153]. These solutions try to optimize the trade-off between insertion loss and extinction ratio while also keeping the device footprint compact.…”

Self-Holding Optical Actuator Based on a Mixed Ionic–Electronic Conductor Material

“…14−16 The full functionality of integrated photonic chips requires a new strategy to tackle the fine-tuning of light propagation in a reversible, stable way, with minimum power consumption. In this context, self-holding optical actuators have been recently proposed for silicon photonic waveguides; these actuators can maintain the switching state without "always on" power dissipation exploiting phase change materials, like GeSbTe compounds, 17 insulator−metal phase transitions in vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ), 18 and memristor-like plasmonic structures. 19…”

Electrochemical Proton Intercalation in Vanadium Pentoxide Thin Films and its Electrochromic Behavior in the near‐IR Region

“…To determine the refractive index n and the absorption coefficient k of the measured samples, Cauchy's dispersion model was used according to equations (3) and (4). Figure 8 shows the Cauchy fit for a reflectance measurement done on a V 2 O 5 thin film with a proton concentration of x = 0.1.…”

“…Recently, self‐holding optical actuators for silicon photonic waveguides have been proposed, these activators can maintain the switching state without a constant supply of energy. Different types of materials have been exploited which comprise phase change, [1] insulator‐metal phase transition, [4] memristor‐like plasmonic structure [5] and electrochromic materials [6] …”