Semiconductor optical waveguide devices modulated by surface acoustic waves

Abstract

This paper reviews the application of coherent acoustic phonons in the form of surface acoustic waves to control the response of semiconductor optical waveguide devices. We lay special emphasis on devices built upon three-dimensional rectangular waveguides, which offer excellent possibilities for integration due to the stronger confinement of the optical fields. We address the spatial distribution of the acoustic fields, as well as the excitation of surface acoustic waves in piezoelectric materials using interdigital transducers. The mechanisms responsible for the interaction between light and the acoustic modes in the optical waveguides, as well as the influence of waveguide parameters in the performance of the devices, are also discussed. Finally, we review the most important advances on the modulation of semiconductor optical waveguide devices built upon three-dimensional waveguides, and explore several exciting future technological possibilities. These include, among others, the generation of slow light in photonic crystal waveguides to enhance the sound-light interaction in the reviewed devices.

Quantum acousto-optic control of light-matter interactions in nanophotonic networks

“…The waveguide is subject to a spatial and timedependent modulation of the refractive index, n(x, t) = n + δn(x, t), which creates an effective potential V (x, t) ∼ δn(x, t) for the photons [14,51,52]. In this work we will specifically focus on strong index modulations induced by propagating acoustic waves via acousto-optical or optomechanical interactions [7-9, 14, 51, 53, 54], but our findings can be generalized to other electro-optical or Kerr-modulation schemes as well [17,18,20].…”

FEM Analysis of Various Multilayer Structures for CMOS Compatible Wearable Acousto-Optic Devices

“…), photonics-based sensors have also gained considerable interest in several other fields like telecommunication and bio-medical instrumentation [ 5 ]. In the area of integrated optics, surface acousto-optic (AO) devices such as tunable optical filters, modulators, and optical switches are extensively used [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. As the demand for AO devices increases, the interest in using AO material with high sensitivity towards acoustic or optic stimulants also increases.…”

Improving the acousto‐optical interaction by an introduction of a planarisation SiO 2 layer

“…Various approaches have been developed to control light of optical waveguides [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) is general technology to control the optics and generated using interdigital transducers (IDTs) for an acousto-optical (AO) interaction in integrated optics [14,15]. The AO interaction can provide a well-established process for controlling light, which have an excellent compromise between speed and size, and can be implemented in almost any material platform such as silicon, (In, Ga) P or LiNbO 3 [13,16,17].…”

“…The acoustic propagation along the Si/SiO 2 layer and the modulation of an AO device based on MZ are Theory: SAW is used to control the optics of optical waveguides for AO interaction in integrated optics. The SAW is always generated in a piezoelectric material by applying an electric potential to the electrode fingers of the IDTs on the surface of the solid [14,22]. The applied electric field will introduce mechanical displacements in the piezoelectric material.…”