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An ultralow power athermal silicon modulator

Author

Listed:
  • Erman Timurdogan

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Cheryl M. Sorace-Agaskar

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Jie Sun

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Ehsan Shah Hosseini

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Aleksandr Biberman

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Michael R. Watts

    (Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Silicon photonics has emerged as the leading candidate for implementing ultralow power wavelength–division–multiplexed communication networks in high-performance computers, yet current components (lasers, modulators, filters and detectors) consume too much power for the high-speed femtojoule-class links that ultimately will be required. Here we demonstrate and characterize the first modulator to achieve simultaneous high-speed (25 Gb s−1), low-voltage (0.5 VPP) and efficient 0.9 fJ per bit error-free operation. This low-energy high-speed operation is enabled by a record electro-optic response, obtained in a vertical p–n junction device that at 250 pm V−1 (30 GHz V−1) is up to 10 times larger than prior demonstrations. In addition, this record electro-optic response is used to compensate for thermal drift over a 7.5 °C temperature range with little additional energy consumption (0.24 fJ per bit for a total energy consumption below 1.03 J per bit). The combined results of highly efficient modulation and electro-optic thermal compensation represent a new paradigm in modulator development and a major step towards single-digit femtojoule-class communications.

Suggested Citation

  • Erman Timurdogan & Cheryl M. Sorace-Agaskar & Jie Sun & Ehsan Shah Hosseini & Aleksandr Biberman & Michael R. Watts, 2014. "An ultralow power athermal silicon modulator," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-11, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5008
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5008
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuan Yuan & Yiwei Peng & Wayne V. Sorin & Stanley Cheung & Zhihong Huang & Di Liang & Marco Fiorentino & Raymond G. Beausoleil, 2024. "A 5 × 200 Gbps microring modulator silicon chip empowered by two-segment Z-shape junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.

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