High-speed and power-efficient beam-steering using 1x16 silicon optical phased array with electro-optic phase shifters

Abstract

We present an 1x16 silicon optical phased array (OPA) based on an electro-optic phase shifter that enables low power consumption and high speed operation. The phase shifter operates by carrier injection based on the p-i-n structure and is designed to optimize the width between doped regions to 2.5 μm. Phase tuning efficiency of 1.7 mW/π and operating speed of 20 MHz were measured from fabricated devices. The difference between the measured values and the values calculated in the simulation was analyzed through additional simulations to indicate that the error occurred in the actual fabrication. In addition, transversal beam steering was achieved in the range of 45° and the average power of 39.6 mW was consumed for phase tuning for each radiation beam.