SLOW-LIGHT SILICON OPTICAL MODULATOR

摘要

An optical modulator is described. This optical modulator may be implemented using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. In particular, a semiconductor layer in an SOI platform may include a photonic crystal having a group velocity of light that is less than that of the semiconductor layer. Moreover, an optical modulator (such as a Mach-Zehnder interferometer) may be implemented in the photonic crystal with a vertical junction in the semiconductor layer. During operation of the optical modulator, an input optical signal may be split into two different optical signals that feed two optical waveguides, and then subsequently combined into an output optical signal. Furthermore, during operation, time-varying bias voltages may be applied across the vertical junction in the optical modulator using contacts defined along a lateral direction of the optical modulator.

主权项

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a substrate; a buried-oxide (BOX) layer disposed on the substrate; and a semiconductor layer disposed on the buried-oxide layer, wherein the semiconductor layer includes an array of holes, defined by edges, that implement a photonic crystal having a group velocity of light that is less than that of the semiconductor layer, wherein an optical modulator, having an input optical waveguide, a first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide and an output optical waveguide, is defined, and the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide are defined in the photonic crystal; wherein, during operation of the optical modulator, an input optical signal received from the input optical waveguide is split into optical signals that, respectively, feed into the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide, and the optical signals from the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide are combined into an output optical signal that feeds into the output optical waveguide; wherein the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide include a vertical junction defined by n-type doping of a lower portion of the semiconductor layer and p-type doping of an upper portion of the semiconductor layer; and wherein, during operation, time-varying bias voltages are applied across the vertical junction in the optical modulator using contacts defined along a lateral direction of the optical modulator.