Investigation of Limits to the Optical Performance of Asymmetric Fabry-Perot Electroabsorption Modulators

Optical critical coupling into highly confining metal-insulator-metal resonators

“…5 If we remove the waveguide, the concept still applies (freely propagating photons can be reflected or transmitted through the resonator system) and it acquires even greater generality. 6 This concept can have a major impact in the semiconductor field where a detector or a photovoltaic active core can for instance be inserted in such a system: 7-9 maximum efficiency is achieved at critical coupling, since all the energy is dissipated in the resonator. Another field which could benefit from the critical coupling concept is the research domain on perfect absorbers.…”

Chip-Level Multiple Quantum Well Modulator-Based Optical Interconnects

“…It should be noted that although the study presented here adopted GaAsbased MQW modulators, other surface normal electroabsorption modulators can be implemented as well, using the same optical fabrics. For example, recent advancement in lower voltage SiGe MQW modulators [6], [7] indicate that the hybrid concept will achieve links with ∼10's fJ/b performance at lower voltages, e.g., ∼1 V modulation swing.…”

“…Projections based on experiments with GaAs MQW arrays show performance in the ∼100's fJ/bit regime for link performance. Projections based on lower voltage MQW modulator technology [6], [7] indicated that that the hybrid concept will achieve links with ∼10's fJ/bit performance (based, e.g., on MQW modulators achieving ∼20 fF capacitance, and a 1 volt modulation swing) -providing chip-level communications capability that will scale with all future CMOS technology nodes. The proposed highcapacity optical interconnect approach, which would have backend CMOS compatibility, provides therefore a potential path to overcoming the limits of metal interconnects at the chip-level.…”

Vertical optical power delivery and inter-chip interconnect concept based on surface-normal MQW modulators

“…Waveguide splitters will distribute the CW light throughout the fabric and deliver the needed light level to each modulator. Performance projections based on lower voltage MQW modulators [6] indicate that the hybrid concept will achieve links with ~10 fJ/bit transmitter performance (based, e.g., on MQW modulators achieving ~20 fF capacitance, and a 1 volt modulation swing). An earlier analysis shows that a total energy link efficiency of approximately ~130 fJ/b is achievable using 10m10m devices and assuming -4 dB wall-plug efficiency for the external laser [2], using the multi-mode optical waveguide fabrics.…”