Silicon photonics has been an area of active research and development. Researchers have been working on enhancing the integration density and intricacy of silicon photonic circuits. This involves the development of advanced fabrication techniques and novel designs to enable more functionalities on a single chip, leading to higher performance and more efficient systems. In this review, we aim to provide a brief overview of the recent advancements in silicon photonic devices employed for telecommunication and sensing (biosensing and gas sensing) applications.

Breakthrough in Silicon Photonics Technology in Telecommunications, Biosensing, and Gas Sensing

Silicon photonics (SiPh) has emerged as the predominant platform across a wide range of integrated photonics applications, encompassing not only mainstream fields such as optical communications and microwave signal processing but also burgeoning areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum processing. A vital component in most SiPh applications is the optical phase shifter, which is essential for varying the phase of light with minimal optical loss. Historically, SiPh phase shifters have primarily utilized the thermo-optic coefficient of silicon for their operation. Thermo-optic phase shifters (TOPSs) offer significant advantages, including excellent compatibility with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology and the potential for negligible optical loss, making them highly scalable. However, the inherent heating mechanism of TOPSs renders them power-hungry and slow, which is a drawback for many applications. We thoroughly examine the principal configurations and optimization strategies that have been proposed for achieving energy-efficient and fast TOPSs. Furthermore, we compare TOPSs with other electro-optic mechanisms and technologies poised to revolutionize phase shifter development on the SiPh platform. 

Silicon thermo-optic phase shifters: a review of configurations and optimization strategies

Tunability is a fundamental prerequisite for functional devices and forms the backbone of reconfigurable microwave photonic (MWP) signal processors. In this paper, we explore the use of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films, notable for their combination of optical transparency and electrical conductivity, to provide tunability for integrated MWP devices. We study the impacts of post-thermal annealing on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of ITO films. The annealed ITO microheater maintains a low total insertion loss of just 0.1 dB while facilitating the tunability of the microring across the entire free spectral range (FSR) using less than half the voltage required by its non-annealed counterpart. Furthermore, the post-annealed ITO film exhibits a 30% improvement in response time, enhancing its performance as an active voltage-controlled microheater. Leveraging this advantage, we employed the post-annealed device to demonstrate continuous tunable radio frequency (RF) phase shifts from 0-330° across a frequency range spanning 15 GHz to 40 GHz with only 5.58 mW of power. The flexibility in modifying the ITO thin film properties effectively bridges the gap between achieving low-loss and high-speed thermo-optic based microheaters.

Tailorable ITO thin films for tunable microwave photonic applications

Phase modulators based upon the thermo-optic effect are used widely in silicon photonics for low speed applications such as switching and tuning. The dissipation of the heat produced to drive the device to the surrounding silicon is a concern as it can dictate how compact and tightly packed components can be without concerns over thermal crosstalk. In this paper we study through modelling and experiment, on various silicon on insulator photonic platforms, how close waveguides can be placed together without significant thermal crosstalk from adjacent devices.

Study into the spread of heat from thermo-optic silicon photonic elements

We experimentally demonstrate 29.6% power reduction in thermo-optic based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) (compared to conventional devices) by using multi-mode region of 2x2 Multi-Mode-Interferometer (MMI) as the modulation region. The reported devices show minimal insertion loss penalty compared to generic devices and no additional fabrication complexity.

/pdf/enhanced-efficiency-thermo-optic-phase-shifter-using-multi-12wor2bqvl.pdf

Enhanced efficiency thermo-optic phase-shifter using multi-mode-interference device

The comparison of a single experimental diffraction pattern with simulations produced using Mie theory enables the precise and simultaneous determination of size and complex refractive index of a polystyrene microbead. Results agree with tabulated values.

Simultaneous Identification of Size and Complex Refractive Index of a Single Microbead via Mie Scattering

We demonstrate a method for power reduction in thermo-optic based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) by using the multimode region of a 2x2 Multi-Mode-Interferometer (MMI) as the modulation region. The light is circulated through the same multimode region twice and therefore utilizes the already present change in temperature leading to additional phase change, and an increase in efficiency. Power saving of 29.6% compared to a conventional thermo-optic phase shifter using single mode waveguides has been experimentally demonstrated. The reported devices show minimal insertion loss penalty compared to generic devices and do not add any additional fabrication complexity. Such an approach could also be applied to higher speed devices, for example those employing free carrier effects.

/pdf/enhanced-efficiency-thermo-optic-phase-shifter-by-using-1zvcc05pbd.pdf

Enhanced efficiency thermo-optic phase-shifter by using multi-mode-interference device

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Study into the spread of heat from thermo-optic silicon photonic elements

Enhanced efficiency thermo-optic phase-shifter using multi-mode-interference device

Simultaneous Identification of Size and Complex Refractive Index of a Single Microbead via Mie Scattering

Enhanced efficiency thermo-optic phase-shifter by using multi-mode-interference device