Dynamic Tuning of Transmission Wavelength of MEMS-Based Ge Waveguides on a Si Beam

Masashi Hirase,Luan Nguyen,Kazumi Wada,Hiroshi Fukuda,Yasuhiko Ishikawa

doi:10.3390/photonics3020014

Masashi Hirase, Luan Nguyen + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics3020014

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Journal: Photonics	Publication Date: Mar 30, 2016
License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: The University of Tokyo

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Three-dimensional structures of microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based Ge waveguide on a Si beam were fabricated for dynamic tuning of the fundamental absorption edge of Ge by external stressing. The application of various amounts of external forces up to 1 GPa onto the Si beam shows clear red-shifts in the absorption edge of Ge waveguides on the Si beam by ~40 nm. This shift was reproduced by the deformation potential theory, considering that mode of propagation in the Ge waveguide. The wavelength tuning range obtained makes it possible to cover the whole C-band of optical communication, indicating it to be a promising approach to electro-absorption Ge modulators to get them to work with a broader wavelength range than previously reported.

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Si photonics is an enabler of electronic and photonic integration on a Si CMOS platform for cost-effective, bandwidth-abundant computation and communication on-chip networks
Ge waveguides on the Si rib waveguide with a 10 μm bending radius on the beam, and two Ge waveguides on the Si rib the Si rib waveguide on the areshown, clearly as shown, as designed
Ge waveguides by applying tensile stress to them and it described a prototype Ge waveguide on a Si beam structure

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Si photonics is an enabler of electronic and photonic integration on a Si CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) platform for cost-effective, bandwidth-abundant computation and communication on-chip networks. Interferometer (MZI) modulators [1,2] reported high power consumption in the order of ~pJ/bit because of the plasma effect that takes place to achieve the refractive index change of the long waveguide arm. Another type of ERM is ring resonator modulators [3,4], which do not require high power to operate but do require thermal management to match the resonance with the modulation wavelength. Electro-absorption modulators (EAMs) are essentially free from large power consumption because of the operation under reverse bias. The range of the operation wavelength remained unchanged in these approaches

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