Design of a 1550nm SiGe/Si quantum-well optical modulator

Tania Tasmin; Nicolas Rouger; Guangrui Xia; Lukas Chrostowski; Nicolas A. F. Jaeger

doi:10.1117/12.870014

22 September 2010 Design of a 1550nm SiGe/Si quantum-well optical modulator

Tania Tasmin, Nicolas Rouger, Guangrui Xia, Lukas Chrostowski, Nicolas A. F. Jaeger

Proceedings Volume 7750, Photonics North 2010; 77501N (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.870014
Event: Photonics North 2010, 2010, Niagara Falls, Canada

Abstract

An electrooptic modulator containing a single SiGe/Si quantum-well has been designed for operation at λ_O= 1.55 μm. This single quantum-well modulator has a lower V_πL_π than the 3 quantum-well modulator recently designed and optimized by Maine et al. for operation at λ_O = 1.31 μm, for which the V_πL_π product was 1.8 V · cm. This single quantum-well modulator contains a Si_0.8Ge_0.2 quantum-well with Non-Intentionally Doped (NID) and P⁺ highly doped layers on either side. With no field applied, holes from the P⁺ layers are captured by and confined in the quantum-well and when a reverse bias is applied holes are released from the quantum well and drift to the P⁺ contact layer. Variations of the hole distribution lead to changes in the free-carrier absorption and the refractive index of each layer and subsequently to phase modulation of guided TE modes. The V_πL_π product of the single quantum-well modulator is estimated 1.09 V · cm for low voltage linear modulation and 1.208 V · cm for 0 to 1.6 V digital modulation, whereas the 3 quantum-well modulator gives a V_πL_π of 2.039 V · cm for 0 to 6 V digital modulation for operation at λ_O = 1.55 μm. Also, the optical loss in the single quantum-well (5.36 dB/cm at V = 0 V ) is lower than that of the 3 quantum-well structure (5.75 dB/cm at V = 0 V ). This single quantum-well modulator should also offer higher frequency operation than the 3 quantum-well modulator.

Citation Download Citation

Tania Tasmin, Nicolas Rouger, Guangrui Xia, Lukas Chrostowski, and Nicolas A. F. Jaeger "Design of a 1550nm SiGe/Si quantum-well optical modulator", Proc. SPIE 7750, Photonics North 2010, 77501N (22 September 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.870014

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