Resonant Enhanced Modulators
Abstract
We developed fabrication technology, advanced materials and design techniques to realize resonance enhanced modulators with ring-resonators. The devices are based on a lateral geometry with deeply etched waveguides in InP. ICP etching techniques and masks were developed to obtain sub-micrometer deep etched waveguides with nanometer residual sidewall roughness for low optical loss and high quality resonators. Ultra compact multi-mode interference (MMI) couplers are designed and fabricated for coupling of the ring-resonators with superior reproducibility and low excess loss. Design and test procedures were established for ring-resonators and resonance enhanced modulators. We developed three-step quantum wells in GalnAsP/InP for enhanced electro-optic coefficients. Measured electro-optic coefficient of the three-step quantum wells is nearly three times higher than the conventional rectangular quantum well at 1.55 micrometers. The enhanced electro-optic effect, combined with a low optical absorption coefficient alpha<1 /cm increases a modulator figure of merit by nearly 36 times, and decreases the power consumption by nearly one order of magnitude compared with a conventional quantum well design. MMI-coupled electro-refractive ring resonators have been fabricated using deeply etched InGaAsP/InP waveguides. We demonstrated the first electro-refractive ring-resonator modulators. RF-modulation with the ring resonator is demonstrated. Resonance enhanced modulation efficiency with the ring-resonance was confirmed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA423777
Entities
People
- A. N. Lepore
- G. A. Pajer
- Hooman Mohseni
- J. H. Abeles
- M. H. Kwakernaak
Organizations
- Sarnoff Corporation