Integrated photonic devices based on silicon photonic wire waveguide platform

Abstract

Silicon photonic wire waveguides, featuring very strong optical confinement and compatibility with silicon electronics, provide a compact photonic platform on which passive, dynamic, and active photonic devices can be integrated. We have already developed a low-loss waveguide platform and integrated various photonic devices. For passive devices, we have developed polarization-independent wavelength filters using a monolithically integrated polarization diversity circuit, in which waveguide-based polarization manipulation devices are implemented. The polarization-dependent loss of a ring resonator wavelength filter with polarization diversity is less than 1 dB. For dynamic devices, we have developed compact carrier-injection-type variable optical attenuators (VOAs). The length of the device is less than one millimeter, and the response time is nanosecond order. The device has already been made polarization independent. We have recently monolithically integrated these fast VOAs with low-dark-current germanium photodiodes and achieved synchronized operation of these devices. For nonlinear devices, a free-carrier extraction structure using a PIN junction implemented in the waveguide can increase the efficiency of nonlinear functions. For example, in a wavelength conversion based on the Four-wave-mixing effect, the conversion efficiency can be increased by 6 dB.