Abstract
We use slow-light photonic crystals to enhance optical switching and modulation in silicon. By using dispersion-engineered designs, a switch as short as 5 mu m was achieved, in which we have demonstrated rerouting of optical pulses on a 3-ps time scale through the absorption of a femtosecond pulse. We additionally demonstrate a modulator with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) configuration with flat-band slow-light photonic crystal phase shifters that is designed to give a large group-index-bandwidth product. An extinction ratio in excess of 15 dB is obtained over the entire 11-nm bandwidth of the modulator.
Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
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Pages (from-to) | 404-414 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | IEEE Photonics Journal |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2010 |