32-Gbps single silicon microring resonator-loaded Mach–Zehnder modulator

Abstract

Design and high-speed modulation of a compact and low-voltage silicon microring resonator-loaded Mach-Zehnder modulator (Si MRR-MZM) with a lateral P-N junction are discussed. The driving voltage or the size of a Si MZM is expected to be significantly reduced owing to an enhanced phase shift in an MRR. Modulation characteristics of the MRR-MZM are analyzed on the basis of different device parameters, such as the coupling efficiency K and round-trip length of an MRR. Si MRR-MZMs with different device parameters are fabricated using a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS)-compatible process and their high-speed modulation characteristics are compared. A half-wave voltage of 3.4 V is demonstrated in an MRR-MZM with K = 0.12 and a round-trip length of 128 µm, and the product of the half-wave voltage and the length of a phase shifter (V π L) was decreased to 0.036 V cm. The 3 dB bandwidth of an MRR-MZM with K = 0.21 and a round-trip length of 180 µm is measured to be approximately 16 GHz, and nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) modulation up to 32 Gbps is successfully demonstrated for an operation voltage of 4.0 V.

Proposal of ultra-low voltage quantum well optical modulator for optical interconnection in superconducting integrated circuit systems

“…5) Thus far, various types of MRR-MZMs have been proposed and demonstrated. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] However, ultra-low-voltage operation of semiconductor optical modulators at low temperatures has never been investigated thus far.…”