Slow-light photonic crystal switches and modulators

Daryl M. Beggs; Thomas P. White; Tobias Kampfrath; Kobus Kuipers; Thomas F. Krauss

doi:10.1117/12.840948

16 February 2010 Slow-light photonic crystal switches and modulators

Daryl M. Beggs, Thomas P. White, Tobias Kampfrath, Kobus Kuipers, Thomas F. Krauss

Proceedings Volume 7606, Silicon Photonics V; 76060N (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.840948
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2010, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We discuss the performance of slow-light enhanced optical switches and modulators fabricated in silicon. The switch is based on photonic crystal waveguides in a directional coupler geometry, and the dispersion of the device is engineered to allow a switching length as short as 5 μm and rerouting of optical signals within 3 ps. The 3 ps switching time is demonstrated using free carriers in the silicon generated by the absorption of a femtosecond pump pulse. The modulator is based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration, with photonic crystal waveguides in each arm to act as phase-shifters. A flat-band slow-light region has been engineered in the phase-shifters to provide an extinction ratio in excess of 15 dB over the entire 11 nm bandwidth of the modulator device.

Citation Download Citation

Daryl M. Beggs, Thomas P. White, Tobias Kampfrath, Kobus Kuipers, and Thomas F. Krauss "Slow-light photonic crystal switches and modulators", Proc. SPIE 7606, Silicon Photonics V, 76060N (16 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.840948

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