An All-Optical Silicon Nano-Transistor
Abstract
We provide Silicon with optoelectronic capabilities using highly confined photonic structures. The photonic structures enhance the free carrier injection effect on the Silicon index of refraction, by orders of magnitude. We present experimental demonstration of fast all-optical switching on a silicon photonic integrated device by employing a strong light-confinement structure to enhance sensitivity to small changes in the refractive index. By use of a control light pulse with energy as low as 40 pJ, the optical transmission of the structure is modulated by more than 97% with a time response of 450 ps. We also demonstrate a 20-micrometer-long tunable optical resonator integrated on a silicon-on-insulator waveguide. The microresonator consists of a planar Fabry-Perot microcavity defined by deep Si/SiO2 Bragg reflectors with a high finesse of 11.2. The device is electrically driven and shows a modulation depth as high as 53% for a power consumption of only 20 mW. The results could enable an all-optical CMOS compatible chip, where all of the devices would be monolithically grown on-chip.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA427641
Entities
People
- Michal Lipson
Organizations
- Cornell University College of Engineering