An Ultra-Compact Optical Modulator using Indium Tin Oxide Materialand Metal-Dielectric-Metal Waveguide Structure

Abstract

These days Ultra-compact modulators are seeking so much interest in their research area, because these are the main components of optical transmission systems and also Ultra-compact and ultra- high speed semiconductor electronic modulators are very significant for optoelectronic integrated circuits. The resonant modulators can be of very small size therefor we have proposed a compact Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) based Opto- Electronic Modulator in a Metal-Dielectric-Metal Plasmonic Waveguide Structure and utilizing resonance property in the device. The device has dimension of 0.01 μm3 and shows modulation depth approximately 9 dB near telecommunication wavelength of 1.5 μm. All the calculations had been done using Finite Element Method (FEM). We have also studied the applications of the device as a tunable filter near the telecommunication wavelength. Performance of the suggested device is quite acceptable with comparison to device size and considered valuable for photonic integrated circuit.