Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators
Slow light is a very important concept in nanophotonics, especially in the context of photonic crystals. In this work, we apply our previous design of band-edge slow light in silicon waveguide gratings [M. Passoni et al, Opt. Express 26, 8470 (2018)] to Mach-Zehnder modulators based on the plasma di...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Nanophotonics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2019.8.issue-9/nanoph-2019-0045/nanoph-2019-0045.xml?format=INT |
| _version_ | 1829507397917343744 |
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| author | Passoni Marco Gerace Dario O’Faolain Liam Andreani Lucio Claudio |
| author_facet | Passoni Marco Gerace Dario O’Faolain Liam Andreani Lucio Claudio |
| author_sort | Passoni Marco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Slow light is a very important concept in nanophotonics, especially in the context of photonic crystals. In this work, we apply our previous design of band-edge slow light in silicon waveguide gratings [M. Passoni et al, Opt. Express 26, 8470 (2018)] to Mach-Zehnder modulators based on the plasma dispersion effect. The key idea is to employ an interleaved p-n junction with the same periodicity as the grating, in order to achieve optimal matching between the electromagnetic field profile and the depletion regions of the p-n junction. The resulting modulation efficiency is strongly improved as compared to common modulators based on normal rib waveguides, even in a bandwidth of 20–30 nm near the band edge, while the total insertion loss due to free carriers is not increased. The present concept is promising in view of realizing slow-light modulators for silicon photonics with reduced energy dissipation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:06:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c73f506718a24c49bf7d3c5d48583e0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2192-8614 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:06:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanophotonics |
| spelling | doaj.art-c73f506718a24c49bf7d3c5d48583e0a2022-12-21T22:33:50ZengDe GruyterNanophotonics2192-86142019-05-01891485149410.1515/nanoph-2019-0045nanoph-2019-0045Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulatorsPassoni Marco0Gerace Dario1O’Faolain Liam2Andreani Lucio Claudio3Department of Physics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Physics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyCentre for Advanced Photonics and Process Analysis, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, IrelandDepartment of Physics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalySlow light is a very important concept in nanophotonics, especially in the context of photonic crystals. In this work, we apply our previous design of band-edge slow light in silicon waveguide gratings [M. Passoni et al, Opt. Express 26, 8470 (2018)] to Mach-Zehnder modulators based on the plasma dispersion effect. The key idea is to employ an interleaved p-n junction with the same periodicity as the grating, in order to achieve optimal matching between the electromagnetic field profile and the depletion regions of the p-n junction. The resulting modulation efficiency is strongly improved as compared to common modulators based on normal rib waveguides, even in a bandwidth of 20–30 nm near the band edge, while the total insertion loss due to free carriers is not increased. The present concept is promising in view of realizing slow-light modulators for silicon photonics with reduced energy dissipation.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2019.8.issue-9/nanoph-2019-0045/nanoph-2019-0045.xml?format=INTsilicon photonicsoptical modulatorsslow light |
| spellingShingle | Passoni Marco Gerace Dario O’Faolain Liam Andreani Lucio Claudio Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators Nanophotonics silicon photonics optical modulators slow light |
| title | Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators |
| title_full | Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators |
| title_fullStr | Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators |
| title_short | Slow light with interleaved p-n junction to enhance performance of integrated Mach-Zehnder silicon modulators |
| title_sort | slow light with interleaved p n junction to enhance performance of integrated mach zehnder silicon modulators |
| topic | silicon photonics optical modulators slow light |
| url | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/nanoph.2019.8.issue-9/nanoph-2019-0045/nanoph-2019-0045.xml?format=INT |
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