A very simple and fast Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator based on a p-i-n configuration, operating at λ=1.55 μm, has been fabricated at 170°C using the low cost technology of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). In spite of the device simplicity, refractive index modulation was achieved through the free carrier dispersion effect resulting in characteristic rise and fall times of ~2.5 ns. By reverse biasing the p-i-n device, the voltage-length product was estimated to be Vπ·Lπ=40 V⋅cm both from static and dynamic measurements. Such bandwidth performance in as-deposited a-Si:H demonstrates the potential of this material for the fabrication of fast active photonic devices integrated on standard microelectronic substrates.

A 2.5 ns switching time mach-zehnder modulator in as-deposited a-Si:H / Rao, S.; Coppola, G.; Gioffrè, M. A.; Della Corte, F. G.; DELLA CORTE, Francesco Giuseppe. - In: OPTICS EXPRESS. - ISSN 1094-4087. - 20:9(2012), pp. 9351-9356. [10.1364/OE.20.009351]

A 2.5 ns switching time mach-zehnder modulator in as-deposited a-Si:H

S. Rao;DELLA CORTE, Francesco Giuseppe
2012-01-01

Abstract

A very simple and fast Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator based on a p-i-n configuration, operating at λ=1.55 μm, has been fabricated at 170°C using the low cost technology of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). In spite of the device simplicity, refractive index modulation was achieved through the free carrier dispersion effect resulting in characteristic rise and fall times of ~2.5 ns. By reverse biasing the p-i-n device, the voltage-length product was estimated to be Vπ·Lπ=40 V⋅cm both from static and dynamic measurements. Such bandwidth performance in as-deposited a-Si:H demonstrates the potential of this material for the fabrication of fast active photonic devices integrated on standard microelectronic substrates.
2012
integrated optics; modulator; electro-optical devices
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12318/4926
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