Silicon electro-optic modulators based on microscopic photonic structures: from principles to advanced modulation formats
Date
2023-08-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Abstract
This paper reviews the progress of electro-optic modulators composed of silicon-based microscopic photonic structures. The basic principles, device structures, and advanced modulation capability of different geometric types are detailed for micro-ring modulators, photonic crystal modulators, and other related modulators. We illustrate the device operation mechanism with a focus on its photonic aspect and discuss their impacts on the modulator speed, power consumption, and thermal stabilities. The cavity enhancement and slow light effect significantly reduce the device footprint and power consumption, with the trade-off of limited operation wavelength range. Other emerging microscopic photonic structure-based silicon modulators for advanced modulation formats exhibit promising performance for further optimizations. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and further directions of microscopic photonic structure-based silicon modulators for pertinent applications.
Description
This is the Accepted Manuscript version of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ace9e2. © 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd. This article will be embargoed until 08/04/2024.
Keywords
silicon photonics, modulator, micro-ring, photonics crystal, slow light
Citation
Yu, Fuhao, Zhaobang Zeng, Xiang Ji, Kaifei Tang, Yu Xin, Guihan Wu, Dun Mao, Tingyi Gu, Qingzhong Huang, and Wei Jiang. “Silicon Electro-Optic Modulators Based on Microscopic Photonic Structures: From Principles to Advanced Modulation Formats.” Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 56, no. 44 (August 4, 2023): 443002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ace9e2.