title: A 2.5 ns switching time MachZehnder modulator in as-deposited a-Si:H.
abstract: A very simple and fast Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator based on a p-i-n configuration, operating at λ = 1.55 μm, has been fabricated at 170 °C using the low cost technology of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). In spite of the device simplicity, refractive index modulation was achieved through the free carrier dispersion effect resulting in characteristic rise and fall times of ~2.5 ns. By reverse biasing the p-i-n device, the voltage-length product was estimated to be V(π)∙L(π) = 40 V∙cm both from static and dynamic measurements. Such bandwidth performance in as-deposited a-Si:H demonstrates the potential of this material for the fabrication of fast active photonic devices integrated on standard microelectronic substrates.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Department of Information Science, Mathematics, Electronics and Transportations (DIMET), Via Graziella Loc. Feo di Vito, 89126, Reggio Calabria, Italy. sandro.rao@unirc.it
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Mariano A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gioffrè
authors.forename: Francesco G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Della Corte
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012666:Semiconductors; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D012825:Silicon