Phase shifter: provides high-speed phase modulation of light.
- 3-dB EO bandwidth >500 GHz
- Plasmonic slot length range 5 to 25 µm
- Plasmonic slot width typ 100 nm
- Plasmonic losses ~0.36 dB/µm. For a length of 10 µm, one achieves <4 dB insertion loss including photonic to plasmonic converters
- Choice of slot materials
- Vπ is a consequence of slot geometry and other parameters
Ring resonator modulator: modulates the optical path length of the ring to shift the resonance peak.
- 3-dB EO bandwidth >170 GHz
- Insertion loss <1.5 dB (in coupler), <6.5 dB (fiber to fiber)
- Drive voltage ~0.6 Vp for 408 Gbps transmission
- Proven temperature stability (published papers)
Antenna: directly converts RF to optical signals.
- Direct free-space to optical conversion
-
Multiple designs possible for operation from GHz to THz
Mach-Zehnder modulator: separates light into two optical paths; the light traveling in these pathways has its phase modulated before recombination.
- 3-dB EO bandwidth >500 GHz
- Plasmonic slot length range 5 to 25 µm
- Plasmonic slot width typ 100 nm
- No travelling-wave electrodes
- Waveguide losses 3 to 5 dB/cm Example: in a typical plasmonic chip the waveguides are 1 to 2 mm which leads to <1dB losses
Thermo-optic phase shifter (heater): changes the phase by injecting a current through a resistive materiel above the waveguide.
- Serves to set the operating point to achieve optimal extinction ratio
- On-off ratio (ER) >30 dB
- On-off power ~10 mW
Grating coupler: couples light from a fiber into the PIC from the top side, and vice-versa.
- Insertion loss <2.5 dB
- Optimized for C-band (1550 nm)
- Available for O-band (1310 nm)
Edge coupler: couples light from a fiber into the PIC from the side.
Coupler / splitter: separates / combines light to two waveguides with losses <1 dB.
Ring filter: filters certain wavelengths that are multiples of the length of the ring.
Directional coupler: couples light from one waveguide to another.