Abstract
A compact device model along with simulations and an experimental analysis of a forward-biased PN junction-based silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) with a phase-shifter length of 0.5 mm is presented. By placing the PN junction to a certain off-center such that 72% of the waveguide is p-doped, the refractive index swing at a given drive voltage swing is increased by 2% compared to the symmetric layout. The effects of the phase shifters’ length mismatch and asymmetric splitting on the modulation efficiency and extinction ratio of the modulator are simulated and compared with experimental results. Without any pre-emphasis or post-processing, a high-speed operation up to 15 Gb/s using a non-return-to-zero modulation format is demonstrated. A modulation efficiency ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\boldsymbol{V}}_{\boldsymbol{\pi}}}{\boldsymbol{L}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> ) as low as 0.07 V × cm is verified and power consumption of 0.88 mW/Gb/s is recorded while a high extinction ratio of 33 dB is experimentally demonstrated. Compared to previously reported forward-biased silicon integrated modulators, without active tuning of the power splitting ratio between the arms, the extinction ratio is 10 dB higher. This MZM along with its compact structure is also sufficiently energy-efficient due to its low power consumption. Thus, it can be suitable for applications like analog signal processing and high-order amplitude modulation transmissions.
Highlights
THE number of users and subsequently the amount of data have been increasing in communication networks in recent years
We have investigated a compact forward-biased PN junctionbased silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator with an extinction ratio of 33 dB that is higher than comparable integrated silicon modulators while keeping the modulator’s insertion loss within a considerable limit
The BW of the modulator is comparatively low due to the design based on the forwardbiased junction, the modulator is energy efficient and has a modulation efficiency (VπL) which is measured to be 0.07 V×cm
Summary
THE number of users and subsequently the amount of data have been increasing in communication networks in recent years. The industry will most likely continue to use reversebiased modulators for various applications, forwardbiased modulators have some advantages, for example, high ER, low dynamic power consumption, and smaller size Taking these into account, forward-biased MZMs might be used for lower bit rate applications with higher ER and power consumption requirements. An established way to improve the ER further is to actively tune the power splitting ratio between the two arms of the modulator [27,28] This leads to a more complex design and increases power consumption. Without any optimization and active tuning, the demonstrated modulator provides an ER of 33 dB, which is 10 dB higher compared to previously reported modulators [9, 22, 24] This modulator offers a solution where an energy-efficient device is necessary due to its low power consumption.
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