Mach-Zehnder Silicon Photonic Modulator Assisted by Phase-Shifted Bragg Gratings
We experimentally demonstrate a silicon photonic Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) assisted by phase-shifted Bragg gratings. Coupled resonators are inserted in the Bragg grating structure to significantly enhance the phase modulation efficiency, while maintaining a wide optical bandwidth compared to othe...
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Published in | IEEE photonics technology letters Vol. 32; no. 8; p. 1 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
New York
IEEE
15.04.2020
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | We experimentally demonstrate a silicon photonic Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) assisted by phase-shifted Bragg gratings. Coupled resonators are inserted in the Bragg grating structure to significantly enhance the phase modulation efficiency, while maintaining a wide optical bandwidth compared to other resonator-based modulators. Fabricated using a CMOS-compatible foundry process, the device achieved a small-signal Vπ× L of 0.18 V.cm, which is seven times lower than a conventional silicon MZM fabricated with the same process. The device has a compact footprint, with a length of only 162 μm, and shows a modulation bandwidth of 28 GHz at a reverse bias of 1 V. Non-return-to-zero modulation is demonstrated at 30 Gb/s with a bit-error-rate (BER) below the 7%-overhead forward error correction (FEC) threshold over a bandwidth of 3.5 nm. This bandwidth should translate into an operating temperature range greater than 40 °C. |
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ISSN: | 1041-1135 1941-0174 |
DOI: | 10.1109/LPT.2020.2978793 |