High-speed, low-loss silicon Mach–Zehnder modulators with doping optimization

doi:10.1364/OE.21.004116

High-speed, low-loss silicon Mach–Zehnder modulators with doping optimization

Xi Xiao, Hao Xu, Xianyao Li, Zhiyong Li, Tao Chu, Yude Yu, and Jinzhong Yu »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue 4, pp. 4116-4125 (2013)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.21.004116

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Abstract

We demonstrate a high-speed silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) with low insertion loss, based on the carrier depletion effect in a lateral PN junction. A 1.9 dB on-chip insertion loss and a V_πL_π < 2 V·cm were achieved in an MZM with a 750 μm-long phase shifter by properly choosing the doping concentration and precisely locating the junction. High-speed modulations up to 45–60 Gbit/s have been demonstrated with an additional 1.6 dB optical loss, indicating a total insertion loss of 3.5 dB. A high extinction ratio of 7.5 dB was also realized at the bit rate of 50 Gbit/s with an acceptable insertion loss of 6.5 dB.

OCIS Codes
(130.0130) Integrated optics : Integrated optics
(130.0250) Integrated optics : Optoelectronics
(130.4110) Integrated optics : Modulators

ToC Category:
Integrated Optics

History
Original Manuscript: December 6, 2012
Revised Manuscript: January 15, 2013
Manuscript Accepted: January 20, 2013
Published: February 11, 2013

Citation
Xi Xiao, Hao Xu, Xianyao Li, Zhiyong Li, Tao Chu, Yude Yu, and Jinzhong Yu, "High-speed, low-loss silicon Mach–Zehnder modulators with doping optimization," Opt. Express 21, 4116-4125 (2013)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-21-4-4116

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References

L. Vivien, A. Polzer, D. Marris-Morini, J. Osmond, J. M. Hartmann, P. Crozat, E. Cassan, C. Kopp, H. Zimmermann, and J. M. Fédéli, “Zero-bias 40Gbit/s germanium waveguide photodetector on silicon,” Opt. Express20(2), 1096–1101 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
K. Debnath, L. O’Faolain, F. Y. Gardes, A. G. Steffan, G. T. Reed, and T. F. Krauss, “Cascaded modulator architecture for WDM applications,” Opt. Express20(25), 27420–27428 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. R. Watts, W. A. Zortman, D. C. Trotter, R. W. Young, and A. L. Lentine, “Vertical junction silicon microdisk modulators and switches,” Opt. Express19(22), 21989–22003 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
W. A. Zortman, A. L. Lentine, D. C. Trotter, and M. R. Watts, “Low-voltage differentially-signaled modulators,” Opt. Express19(27), 26017–26026 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
X. Xiao, X. Li, H. Xu, Y. Hu, K. Xiong, Z. Li, T. Chu, J. Yu, and Y. Yu, “44-Gbit/s silicon microring modulators based on zigzag PN junctions,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.24(19), 1712–1714 (2012). [CrossRef]
P. Dong, L. Chen, and Y.-K. Chen, “High-speed low-voltage single-drive push-pull silicon Mach-Zehnder modulators,” Opt. Express20(6), 6163–6169 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
D. Thomson, F. Gardes, J. Fedeli, S. Zlatanovic, Y. Hu, B. Kuo, E. Myslivets, N. Alic, S. Radic, G. Z. Mashanovich, and G. T. Reed, “50Gbit/s silicon optical modulator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.24(4), 234–236 (2012). [CrossRef]
D. W. Zheng, D. Z. Feng, G. Gutierrez, and T. Smith, “Design of a 10 GHz silicon modulator based on a 0.25 μm CMOS process - a silicon photonic approach,” Proceedings of SPIE 6125, pp. 61250E.1–61250E.10 (2006).
L. Liao, A. Liu, D. Rubin, J. Basak, Y. Chetrit, H. Nguyen, R. Cohen, N. Izhaky, and M. Paniccia, “40 Gbit/s silicon optical modulator for high speed applications,” Electron. Lett.43(22), 1196–1197 (2007). [CrossRef]
N.-N. Feng, S. Liao, D. Feng, P. Dong, D. Zheng, H. Liang, R. Shafiiha, G. Li, J. E. Cunningham, A. V. Krishnamoorthy, and M. Asghari, “High speed carrier-depletion modulators with 1.4V-cm VπL integrated on 0.25microm silicon-on-insulator waveguides,” Opt. Express18(8), 7994–7999 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
H. Yu, M. Pantouvaki, J. Van Campenhout, D. Korn, K. Komorowska, P. Dumon, Y. Li, P. Verheyen, P. Absil, L. Alloatti, D. Hillerkuss, J. Leuthold, R. Baets, and W. Bogaerts, “Performance tradeoff between lateral and interdigitated doping patterns for high speed carrier-depletion based silicon modulators,” Opt. Express20(12), 12926–12938 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, Y. Hu, G. Mashanovich, M. Fournier, P. Grosse, J.-M. Fédéli, and G. T. Reed, “High contrast 40Gbit/s optical modulation in silicon,” Opt. Express19(12), 11507–11516 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
F. Y. Gardes, D. J. Thomson, N. G. Emerson, and G. T. Reed, “40 Gb/s silicon photonics modulator for TE and TM polarisations,” Opt. Express19(12), 11804–11814 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Ziebell, D. Marris-Morini, G. Rasigade, J.-M. Fédéli, P. Crozat, E. Cassan, D. Bouville, and L. Vivien, “40 Gbit/s low-loss silicon optical modulator based on a pipin diode,” Opt. Express20(10), 10591–10596 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
A. Brimont, D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, J. M. Fedeli, G. T. Reed, J. Martí, and P. Sanchis, “High-contrast 40 Gb/s operation of a 500 μm long silicon carrier-depletion slow wave modulator,” Opt. Lett.37(17), 3504–3506 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
S. Akiyama, T. Baba, M. Imai, T. Akagawa, M. Noguchi, E. Saito, Y. Noguchi, N. Hirayama, T. Horikawa, and T. Usuki, “50-Gbit/s silicon modulator using 250-μm-Long phase shifter based on forward-biased pin diodes,” in Proceedings of 9th IEEE International Conference on Group IV Photonics (GFP 2012), pp. 192–194.
D. J. Thomson, Y. Hu, G. T. Reed, and J.-M. Fedeli, “Low loss MMI couplers for high performance MZI modulators,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.22(20), 1485–1487 (2010). [CrossRef]
H. Yu, W. Bogaerts, and A. De Keersgieter, “Optimization of ion implantation condition for depletion-type silicon optical modulators,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.46(12), 1763–1768 (2010). [CrossRef]
G. Rasigade, D. Marris-Morini, M. Ziebell, E. Cassan, and L. Vivien, “Analytical model for depletion-based silicon modulator simulation,” Opt. Express19(5), 3919–3924 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
H. Xu, X. Xiao, X. Li, Y. Hu, Z. Li, T. Chu, Y. Yu, and J. Yu, “High speed silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator based on interleaved PN junctions,” Opt. Express20(14), 15093–15099 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
X. Xiao, H. Xu, X. Li, Y. Hu, K. Xiong, Z. Li, T. Chu, Y. Yu, and J. Yu, “25 Gbit/s silicon microring modulator based on misalignment-tolerant interleaved PN junctions,” Opt. Express20(3), 2507–2515 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
K. K. Lee, D. R. Lim, L. C. Kimerling, J. Shin, and F. Cerrina, “Fabrication of ultralow-loss Si/SiO2 waveguides by roughness reduction,” Opt. Lett.26(23), 1888–1890 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
J. Ding, H. Chen, L. Yang, L. Zhang, R. Ji, Y. Tian, W. Zhu, Y. Lu, P. Zhou, R. Min, and M. Yu, “Ultra-low-power carrier-depletion Mach-Zehnder silicon optical modulator,” Opt. Express20(7), 7081–7087 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Baehr-Jones, R. Ding, Y. Liu, A. Ayazi, T. Pinguet, N. C. Harris, M. Streshinsky, P. Lee, Y. Zhang, A. E.-J. Lim, T.-Y. Liow, S. H.-G. Teo, G.-Q. Lo, and M. Hochberg, “Ultralow drive voltage silicon traveling-wave modulator,” Opt. Express20(11), 12014–12020 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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[1] L. Vivien, A. Polzer, D. Marris-Morini, J. Osmond, J. M. Hartmann, P. Crozat, E. Cassan, C. Kopp, H. Zimmermann, and J. M. Fédéli, “Zero-bias 40Gbit/s germanium waveguide photodetector on silicon,” Opt. Express20(2), 1096–1101 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[2] K. Debnath, L. O’Faolain, F. Y. Gardes, A. G. Steffan, G. T. Reed, and T. F. Krauss, “Cascaded modulator architecture for WDM applications,” Opt. Express20(25), 27420–27428 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[3] M. R. Watts, W. A. Zortman, D. C. Trotter, R. W. Young, and A. L. Lentine, “Vertical junction silicon microdisk modulators and switches,” Opt. Express19(22), 21989–22003 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[4] W. A. Zortman, A. L. Lentine, D. C. Trotter, and M. R. Watts, “Low-voltage differentially-signaled modulators,” Opt. Express19(27), 26017–26026 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[5] X. Xiao, X. Li, H. Xu, Y. Hu, K. Xiong, Z. Li, T. Chu, J. Yu, and Y. Yu, “44-Gbit/s silicon microring modulators based on zigzag PN junctions,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.24(19), 1712–1714 (2012). [CrossRef]

[6] P. Dong, L. Chen, and Y.-K. Chen, “High-speed low-voltage single-drive push-pull silicon Mach-Zehnder modulators,” Opt. Express20(6), 6163–6169 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[7] D. Thomson, F. Gardes, J. Fedeli, S. Zlatanovic, Y. Hu, B. Kuo, E. Myslivets, N. Alic, S. Radic, G. Z. Mashanovich, and G. T. Reed, “50Gbit/s silicon optical modulator,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.24(4), 234–236 (2012). [CrossRef]

[8] D. W. Zheng, D. Z. Feng, G. Gutierrez, and T. Smith, “Design of a 10 GHz silicon modulator based on a 0.25 μm CMOS process - a silicon photonic approach,” Proceedings of SPIE 6125, pp. 61250E.1–61250E.10 (2006).

[9] L. Liao, A. Liu, D. Rubin, J. Basak, Y. Chetrit, H. Nguyen, R. Cohen, N. Izhaky, and M. Paniccia, “40 Gbit/s silicon optical modulator for high speed applications,” Electron. Lett.43(22), 1196–1197 (2007). [CrossRef]

[10] N.-N. Feng, S. Liao, D. Feng, P. Dong, D. Zheng, H. Liang, R. Shafiiha, G. Li, J. E. Cunningham, A. V. Krishnamoorthy, and M. Asghari, “High speed carrier-depletion modulators with 1.4V-cm VπL integrated on 0.25microm silicon-on-insulator waveguides,” Opt. Express18(8), 7994–7999 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[11] H. Yu, M. Pantouvaki, J. Van Campenhout, D. Korn, K. Komorowska, P. Dumon, Y. Li, P. Verheyen, P. Absil, L. Alloatti, D. Hillerkuss, J. Leuthold, R. Baets, and W. Bogaerts, “Performance tradeoff between lateral and interdigitated doping patterns for high speed carrier-depletion based silicon modulators,” Opt. Express20(12), 12926–12938 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[12] D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, Y. Hu, G. Mashanovich, M. Fournier, P. Grosse, J.-M. Fédéli, and G. T. Reed, “High contrast 40Gbit/s optical modulation in silicon,” Opt. Express19(12), 11507–11516 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[13] F. Y. Gardes, D. J. Thomson, N. G. Emerson, and G. T. Reed, “40 Gb/s silicon photonics modulator for TE and TM polarisations,” Opt. Express19(12), 11804–11814 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[14] M. Ziebell, D. Marris-Morini, G. Rasigade, J.-M. Fédéli, P. Crozat, E. Cassan, D. Bouville, and L. Vivien, “40 Gbit/s low-loss silicon optical modulator based on a pipin diode,” Opt. Express20(10), 10591–10596 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[15] A. Brimont, D. J. Thomson, F. Y. Gardes, J. M. Fedeli, G. T. Reed, J. Martí, and P. Sanchis, “High-contrast 40 Gb/s operation of a 500 μm long silicon carrier-depletion slow wave modulator,” Opt. Lett.37(17), 3504–3506 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[16] S. Akiyama, T. Baba, M. Imai, T. Akagawa, M. Noguchi, E. Saito, Y. Noguchi, N. Hirayama, T. Horikawa, and T. Usuki, “50-Gbit/s silicon modulator using 250-μm-Long phase shifter based on forward-biased pin diodes,” in Proceedings of 9th IEEE International Conference on Group IV Photonics (GFP 2012), pp. 192–194.

[17] D. J. Thomson, Y. Hu, G. T. Reed, and J.-M. Fedeli, “Low loss MMI couplers for high performance MZI modulators,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.22(20), 1485–1487 (2010). [CrossRef]

[18] H. Yu, W. Bogaerts, and A. De Keersgieter, “Optimization of ion implantation condition for depletion-type silicon optical modulators,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.46(12), 1763–1768 (2010). [CrossRef]

[19] G. Rasigade, D. Marris-Morini, M. Ziebell, E. Cassan, and L. Vivien, “Analytical model for depletion-based silicon modulator simulation,” Opt. Express19(5), 3919–3924 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[20] H. Xu, X. Xiao, X. Li, Y. Hu, Z. Li, T. Chu, Y. Yu, and J. Yu, “High speed silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator based on interleaved PN junctions,” Opt. Express20(14), 15093–15099 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[21] X. Xiao, H. Xu, X. Li, Y. Hu, K. Xiong, Z. Li, T. Chu, Y. Yu, and J. Yu, “25 Gbit/s silicon microring modulator based on misalignment-tolerant interleaved PN junctions,” Opt. Express20(3), 2507–2515 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[22] K. K. Lee, D. R. Lim, L. C. Kimerling, J. Shin, and F. Cerrina, “Fabrication of ultralow-loss Si/SiO2 waveguides by roughness reduction,” Opt. Lett.26(23), 1888–1890 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[23] J. Ding, H. Chen, L. Yang, L. Zhang, R. Ji, Y. Tian, W. Zhu, Y. Lu, P. Zhou, R. Min, and M. Yu, “Ultra-low-power carrier-depletion Mach-Zehnder silicon optical modulator,” Opt. Express20(7), 7081–7087 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[24] T. Baehr-Jones, R. Ding, Y. Liu, A. Ayazi, T. Pinguet, N. C. Harris, M. Streshinsky, P. Lee, Y. Zhang, A. E.-J. Lim, T.-Y. Liow, S. H.-G. Teo, G.-Q. Lo, and M. Hochberg, “Ultralow drive voltage silicon traveling-wave modulator,” Opt. Express20(11), 12014–12020 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

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High-speed, low-loss silicon Mach–Zehnder modulators with doping optimization