Scientists use silicon-based devices to achieve all-optical ultra-high-speed signal processing
All-optical processing is a hot spot in communications research and development, and speed, power and cost are critical. The key to all-optical processing is the high nonlinear optical waveguide and ultra-high speed performance. Researchers from the Karlsruhe University in Germany, the University of Belgium Inter-University Microelectronics Research Center, and Lehigh University in the United States have implemented all-optical ultra-high-speed communication signal processing using silicon-based devices at a transmission rate of 100 Gbit/s.
The researchers created an innovative optical waveguide structure by combining deep ultraviolet lithography, standard CMOS processes, and organic molecular beam deposition. This waveguide, known as silicon-organic hybrid (SOH), paves the way for all-optical signal processing (without having to bother between photons and electrons), to meet the rapid growth of the future. One of the most promising of the various solutions required for global communications.
Researchers use a mature CMOS process to fabricate waveguides. Organic molecular beam deposition techniques are used to cover organic molecules on the waveguide. These organic molecules make the SOH waveguides have increased nonlinearities without introducing large losses. The 4 mm SOH waveguide has a nonlinear coefficient of approximately 105 (Wkm)-1 in the 1.55 μm communication band, and the theoretical value was verified in the first test. In such a waveguide, 170.8 Gbit/s all-optical demultiplexing is decomposed into 42.7 Gbit/s by four-wave mixing. This is the world record for the processing speed of photonic optical signals so far. This experiment confirms the feasibility of applying SOH waveguides to all-optical processing of wideband communication signals.
This SOH waveguide goes beyond some of the inherent limitations of silicon. Silicon-based technology is considered to be very suitable for the manufacture of a variety of different passive linear optics. However, due to the harmful nonlinear effects in silicon, the development of ultra-high-speed active silicon-based functions, such as all-optical switches, remains a major challenge. To date, the signal transmission rate limit of silicon waveguides is 40 Gbit/s. SOH waveguides have surpassed this limit at speeds in excess of 100 Gbit/s. Related research results are published in Nature-Photonics (All-optical high-speed signal processing with silicon-organic hybrid slot waveguides).
The researchers created an innovative optical waveguide structure by combining deep ultraviolet lithography, standard CMOS processes, and organic molecular beam deposition. This waveguide, known as silicon-organic hybrid (SOH), paves the way for all-optical signal processing (without having to bother between photons and electrons), to meet the rapid growth of the future. One of the most promising of the various solutions required for global communications.
Researchers use a mature CMOS process to fabricate waveguides. Organic molecular beam deposition techniques are used to cover organic molecules on the waveguide. These organic molecules make the SOH waveguides have increased nonlinearities without introducing large losses. The 4 mm SOH waveguide has a nonlinear coefficient of approximately 105 (Wkm)-1 in the 1.55 μm communication band, and the theoretical value was verified in the first test. In such a waveguide, 170.8 Gbit/s all-optical demultiplexing is decomposed into 42.7 Gbit/s by four-wave mixing. This is the world record for the processing speed of photonic optical signals so far. This experiment confirms the feasibility of applying SOH waveguides to all-optical processing of wideband communication signals.
This SOH waveguide goes beyond some of the inherent limitations of silicon. Silicon-based technology is considered to be very suitable for the manufacture of a variety of different passive linear optics. However, due to the harmful nonlinear effects in silicon, the development of ultra-high-speed active silicon-based functions, such as all-optical switches, remains a major challenge. To date, the signal transmission rate limit of silicon waveguides is 40 Gbit/s. SOH waveguides have surpassed this limit at speeds in excess of 100 Gbit/s. Related research results are published in Nature-Photonics (All-optical high-speed signal processing with silicon-organic hybrid slot waveguides).
Wuxi Lerin New Energy Technology Co.,Ltd. , https://www.lerin-tech.com