title: U-shaped PN junctions for efficient silicon Mach-Zehnder and microring modulators in the O-band.
abstract: We demonstrate U-shaped silicon PN junctions for energy efficient Mach-Zehnder modulators and ring modulators in the O-band. This type of junction has an improved modulation efficiency compared to existing PN junction geometries, has low losses, and supports high-speed operation. The U-shaped junctions were fabricated in an 8" silicon photonics platform, and they were incorporated in travelling-wave Mach-Zehnder modulators and microring modulators. For the high-bandwidth Mach-Zehnder modulator, the DC VπL at -0.5 V bias was 4.6 V·mm. It exhibited a 3dB bandwidth of 13 GHz, and eye patterns at up to 24 Gb/s were observed. A VπL as low as ~2.6 V·mm at a -0.5 V bias was measured in another device. The ring modulator tuning efficiency was 40 pm·V-1between 0 V and -0.5 V bias. It had a 3-dB bandwidth of 13.5 GHz and open eye patterns at up to 13 Gb/s were measured. This type of PN junctions can be easily fabricated without extra masks and can be incorporated into generic silicon photonics platforms.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Wesley D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Sacher
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jared C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: Yisu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xianshu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dumais
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goodwill
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahrami
authors.forename: Patrick Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernier
authors.forename: Joyce K S
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Poon