Dual-microring-resonator electro-optic logic switches on a silicon chip

Abstract

We report dual-microring-resonator electro-optic logic switches using two embedded injection-type p-i-n diodes with dual electrical inputs on a silicon chip. Our matrix analysis and semiconductor device numerical simulations reveal OR (NOR) function electro-optic switching for the throughput- (drop-) port transmission at a probe wavelength near the resonance of the coupled identical microring resonators. We find that upon the dual electrical digital input states (1, 0) and (0, 1), the drop-port transmissions are related by reciprocity and thereby are identical, whereas the throughput-port transmissions are not reciprocity related and thus in general are non-identical. Our characterizations of initial fabricated devices on a silicon-on-insulator substrate, however, reveal that the proposed logic operations hinge on high fabrication fidelity of the coupled microring resonators.