Cryogenic operation of silicon photonic modulators based on the DC Kerr effect
Abstract
Reliable operation of photonic integrated circuits at cryogenic temperatures would enable new capabilities for emerging computing platforms, such as quantum technologies and low-power cryogenic computing. The silicon-on-insulator platform is a highly promising approach to developing large-scale photonic integrated circuits due to its exceptional manufacturability, CMOS compatibility, and high component density. Fast, efficient, and low-loss modulation at cryogenic temperatures in silicon, however, remains an outstanding challenge, particularly without the addition of exotic nonlinear optical materials. In this paper, we demonstrate DC-Kerr-effect-based modulation at a temperature of 5 K at GHz speeds, in a silicon photonic device fabricated exclusively within a CMOS-compatible process. This work opens up a path for the integration of DC Kerr modulators in large-scale photonic integrated circuits for emerging cryogenic classical and quantum computing applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Oct 08, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1364/optica.403178
Entities
People
- Darius Bunandar
- Dirk R. Englund
- Genevieve Clark
- Gerald Gilbert
- Jacques Carolan
- Jelena Notaroš
- Michael. R. Watts
- Uttara Chakraborty
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- MITRE Corporation
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- National Science Foundation