Silicon waveguide modulator with embedded phase change material

TL;DR

This paper presents a hybrid silicon-photonic waveguide modulator integrating vanadium dioxide, achieving broadband optical modulation of approximately 10 dB over a 500 nm PCM length.

Contribution

The work introduces a novel non-resonant silicon waveguide modulator with embedded vanadium dioxide, demonstrating significant broadband modulation in a compact design.

Findings

~10 dB broadband modulation achieved

PCM length of 500 nm used

Successful fabrication and characterization

Abstract

Phase-change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising active elements in silicon (Si) photonic systems. In this work, we design, fabricate, and characterize a hybrid Si-PCM optical modulator. By integrating vanadium dioxide (a PCM) within a Si photonic waveguide, in a non-resonant geometry, we demonstrate ~ 10 dB broadband modulation with a PCM length of 500 nm.