Abstract
We analyze the theoretical and physical properties of a CMOS compatible optical leaky wave antenna (OLWA) integrated into a Fabry-Pérot resonator (FPR) at 193.4 THz (wavelength<i> λ</i><sub>0</sub> = 1550 nm). The presented OLWA design is composed of a silicon (Si) dielectric waveguide sandwiched between two silica glass (SiO<sub>2</sub>) domains, and it comprises periodic perturbations (cavities of vacuum). We first describe the radiation of the isolated OLWA whose radiation pattern is due to the excitation of a leaky wave, slowly decaying while traveling. The perturbations are indeed designed to obtain a leaky wave harmonic with very low attenuation and phase constants. Then, we integrate the same OLWA into a FPR where two leaky waves with the same wavenumber are travelling in opposite directions inside the resonator. We show that the radiation level at the broadside direction can be effectively controlled by modifying the optical properties of the Si waveguide through electron-hole excess carrier generation (found to be highly enhanced when it is integrated into a FPR). The design of the integrated OLWA is properly set to guarantee the constructive interference of the two radiated beams provided by the two leaky waves in the FPR. The modal propagation constant in the integrated OLWA can be then altered through excess carrier generation in Si, thus the antenna can be tuned in and out of the resonance thanks to the high FPR quality factor, and the LW modal dispersion relation. This allows for enhanced radiation level control at broadside, and preliminary results show up to 13 dB beam modulation.
Highlights
AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMOptical antennas transmit light waves into the surrounding space and have the potential to boost the efficiency of optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, lasers and solar cells, and bio-chemical sensors [1,2,3]
We have recently introduced in [9] the design of a dielectric optical leaky wave antenna (OLWA) with periodic semiconductor perturbations, capable of producing narrow beam radiation very close to the normal direction, with electronic or optical tuning capability
The aim of this paper is to investigate the enhanced radiation level control of a leaky wave antenna integrated inside a Fabry-Pérot resonator (FPR)
Summary
Optical antennas transmit (receive) light waves into (from) the surrounding space and have the potential to boost the efficiency of optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, lasers and solar cells, and bio-chemical sensors [1,2,3]. The aim of this paper is to investigate the enhanced radiation level control of a leaky wave antenna integrated inside a FPR. The radiated far field of such an antenna is the result of an (constructive/destructive) interference of the leaky waves traveling in opposite directions with the same wavenumber inside the resonator. Given that the leaky waves propagate with a very small attenuation constant, a sharp resonance of the FPR with a high quality factor enables high level modulation of the far field through excess carrier injection. The OLWA is embedded into a Fabry-Perot resonator (FPR) in Sec. 3, where the leaky waves’ resonance inside the FPR is theoretically modeled to show its radiation level modulation through excess carrier injection. We provide simulation results proving the radiation pattern tunability
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