Abstract
Phase modulation is one of the key functionalities in an integrated photonics circuit. In the silicon photonics platform several approaches have been undertaken. The thermo-optic effect is slow and relatively power hungry while a carrier-based approach is fast (>Gbps) but lossy and weak. Integration of other (e.g. electro-optic) materials typically struggles with fabrication issues which limit the effect. Here, we present a nano-electromechanical systems based approach. By applying a voltage over a free-standing slot waveguide, the slot width will change resulting in an effective index change and thus a phase change. Using a cascaded structure, the effect can be enlarged without reducing the speed. A phase change of 40° was observed for a voltage of 13 V over a cascade of three 5.8 µm long free-standing slots. The expected speed is in the MHz range. Related Research Topics
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Citations (OpenCitations)
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