Integrated Optical Link on Si Wafer Using Low Energy Membrane InP-Based Photonic Devices

Optical links and photonic integrated circuits require integration of photonic and electronic devices at chip, module, or board level. The complexity of such systems is motivating a need for system level CAD tools which can simulate electronic and photonic devices and circuits simultaneously and at multiple levels of abstraction. Furthermore integrating photonic devices into conventional electronic computer and communication systems needs to be justified in terms of cost, performance, and portability of existing computer software and hardware. Thus system level analysis of optoelectronic interconnect system is clearly necessary to ensure that an overall functional and performance requirements are met. The proposed approach for system level modeling is to integrate photonic device simulations into the established electronic design automation environment, particularly VHDL-based one. VHDL description of photonic devices will provide benefits such as portability of individual design, system level performance analysis before building a real system, and synthesis capability for a rapid- prototyping. This paper demonstrates the use of basic VHDL entities of various passive optical waveguide components and a special VHDL package (`Optical_Package') defining physical photonic parameters to verify the feasibility of this approach. It includes modeling and simulation of global signal distribution network on MCMs using optical interconnect and wavelength division (de)multiplexing-based optical link.

The attempt to integrate photonic dynamic devices with microelectronic circuits is becoming a major scientific as well as industrial trend. Such integration is important since currently processing is mainly done with microelectronic chips but transmission, especially for long distances, is done over optical links. We review the common physical effects that support various photonic dynamic devices and then overview the large variety of existing integrated micro- and nanophotonic dynamic circuits. We provide a general overview of existing devices and technologies and then cover the topic of silicon photonics where various micro- and nanophotonic dynamic modules are integrated on a silicon chip together with nonphotonic microelectronic components. Although the scope of this review paper deals with a large variety of components, we focus mainly on modulators. The different types of modulators that we introduce include electro-optical as well as all-optical devices. These modulators perform a role that is similar to the role of microelectronic transistors, while acting as the first evolution phase towards fully integrated lightwave processing circuits.

While silicon has dominated solid-state electronics for more than four decades, a variety of new materials have been introduced into photonics to expand the accessible wavelength range and to improve the performance of photonic devices. For example, gallium-nitride based materials enable the light emission at blue and ultraviolet wavelengths, and high index contrast silicon-on-insulator facilitates the realization of ultra dense and CMOS compatible photonic devices. Here, we report the first deployment of graphene, a two-dimensional carbon material, as the photo-detection element in a 10 Gbits/s optical data link. In this interdigitated metal-graphene-metal photodetector, an asymmetric metallization scheme is adopted to break the mirror symmetry of the built-in electric-field profile in conventional graphene field-effect-transistor channels, allowing for efficient photo-detection within the entire area of light illumination. A maximum external photo-responsivity of 6.1 mA/W is achieved at 1.55 {\mu}m wavelength, a very impressive value given that the material is below one nanometer in thickness. Moreover, owing to the unique band structure and exceptional electronic properties of graphene, high speed photodetectors with an ultra-wide operational wavelength range at least from 300 nm to 6 {\mu}m can be realized using this fascinating material.

The exponential growth in global data traffic necessitates the development of next-generation optical communication systems capable of operating at symbol rates exceeding 100 Gbaud. Indium Phosphide (InP) technology stands at the forefront of this evolution due to its superior electron mobility and direct bandgap properties, which are critical for the realization of active high-speed photonic components. However, the design of such ultra-high-speed devices, particularly modulators and detectors, involves a complex interplay of optical and radio-frequency (RF) electrical constraints that renders traditional analytical design methodologies insufficient. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the application of Genetic Algorithms (GA) for the global optimization of InP-based photonic devices. We propose a robust optimization framework that couples evolutionary computation with full-wave electromagnetic solvers to navigate the multi-dimensional parameter space of photonic integrated circuits. By optimizing the geometric parameters of a Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM), we demonstrate a significant enhancement in electro-optic bandwidth and a reduction in insertion loss compared to standard designs. The results indicate that stochastic optimization methods can effectively overcome the limitations of manual tuning, paving the way for Terabit-scale optical interconnects.

Multiprocessor systems-on-chip show a trend toward integration of tens and hundreds of processor cores on a single chip. With the development of silicon photonics for short-haul optical communication, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based optical networks-on-chip (ONoCs) are emerging on-chip communication architectures that can potentially offer high bandwidth and power efficiency. Thermal sensitivity of photonic devices is one of the main concerns about the on-chip optical interconnects. We systematically modeled thermal effects in optical links in WDM-based ONoCs. Based on the proposed thermal models, we developed OTemp, an optical thermal effect modeling platform for optical links in both WDM-based ONoCs and single-wavelength ONoCs. OTemp can be used to simulate the power consumption as well as optical power loss for optical links under temperature variations. We use case studies to quantitatively analyze the worst-case power consumption for one wavelength in an eight-wavelength WDM-based optical link under different configurations of low-temperature-dependence techniques. Results show that the worst-case power consumption increases dramatically with on-chip temperature variations. Thermal-based adjustment and optimal device settings can help reduce power consumption under temperature variations. Assume that off-chip vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers are used as the laser source with WDM channel spacing of 1 nm, if we use thermal-based adjustment with guard rings for channel remapping, the worst-case total power consumption is 6.7 pJ/bit under the maximum temperature variation of 60 °C; larger channel spacing would result in a larger worst-case power consumption in this case. If we use thermal-based adjustment without channel remapping, the worst-case total power consumption is around 9.8 pJ/bit under the maximum temperature variation of 60 °C; in this case, the worst-case power consumption would benefit from a larger channel spacing.

The magnetic and optical properties studies in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides have attracted attention because of the manufacture spintronic, electronic and photonic devices. This paper reported the magnetism and optical properties of Mn–O, Mn–Se, Mn–Te, Mn–Po co-doped MoS2 monolayer systems via first principle calculation, results show Mn-X(X = O, Se, Te and Po) co-doped MoS2 monolayer systems appear half-metal (HM) ferromagnet, their corresponding magnetic moments are 1.06 μ B, 1.04 μ B, 1.04 μ B, 1.03 μ B, respectively. Co-doped systems have smaller band gaps due to effective charge compensation among Mn–O, Mn–Se, Mn–Te and Mn–Po atoms. According to calculation, we find Mn–O co-doped MoS2 monolayer has the lowest formation energy in four co-doping systems. Thus the Mn–O co-doped MoS2 monolayer has the best stability. The Mn–Se co-doped MoS2 monolayer has the highest static dielectric constants and refractive index and In energy range of 0 to 1.5 eV, the transmittance of intrinsic MoS2 system is higher than that of all co-doped MoS2 systems obtained by absorption coefficient

Plasmonic nanocavities based on nanoparticle‐on‐mirror geometries draw widespread interest due to their easy‐fabricated structures and highly confined plasmon modes, enabling light–matter interaction for developing state‐of‐the‐art photonic devices. To truly be ideal building blocks for practical nanophotonic devices, the nanoparticle‐on‐mirror nanocavities are expected to be simultaneously spectral tunable and thermostable under the focused laser irradiation. Here, the in‐situ optical tuning of the nanocavity mode is achieved in the nanocube‐on‐mirror nanocavities by continuous laser irradiation. Through the photothermal‐assisted morphology changes, the in‐situ shifting of the plasmon resonances to the lower and higher energies is accomplished by the deformation of the surfactant covering the silver nanocube and reshaping the rounding curvature of the nanocubes, respectively. Furthermore, it is found that the alumina‐encapsulated nanocube on mirrors constructed by surfactant‐eliminated nanocubes are capable of enduring more intense irradiation than the normal ones. On this basis, the factors affecting the plasmonic heating effect are also systematically investigated, and the internal relationship among light absorption, temperature increases, and plasmonic resonance shifts is established. In general, these results provide ideas for designing novel stable nanocavities, and the surfactant‐eliminated nanocube‐on‐mirror nanocavities presented here are a promising platform for future applications in boosting light–matter interaction.

This study investigates the optical absorption and frequency upconversion properties of Erbium (Er3+) ion co-doped quaternary tellurite glasses (TZWE), which have garnered attention due to their promising applications in photonic devices. Tellurite glasses, known for their low phonon energy, high refractive index, and broad transmission window, serve as effective hosts for rare earth ions. The optical band gap energies of the synthesized glasses were determined using Tauc’s plot method and found to decrease from 3.14 eV to 3.01 eV with increasing Er3+ concentration. Correspondingly, the refractive index increased from 2.36 to 2.39, indicating enhanced polarizability of the glass matrix. UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra confirmed multiple characteristic transitions of Er3+ ions, with intensity rising proportionally to dopant concentration. Upconversion photoluminescence under both 377 nm and 980 nm excitation revealed green and red emissions, primarily attributed to transitions such as 2H1 1/2  4 I1 5 /2 and 4F9 /2  4 I1 5/2 . A detailed energy transfer mechanism, involving ground-state absorption, excited-state absorption, energy transfer upconversion, and cross-relaxation processes, was proposed to explain the luminescent behavior. The results confirm the potential of Er3+ -doped tellurite glasses for advanced photonic applications such as lasers and optical amplifiers.

Miniaturization and performance enhancement of photonic devices remain key challenges in the advancement of optical information processing technologies and photonic neural networks. In this study, an inverted triangular resonator (ITR) based on a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) plasmonic architecture and phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is introduced. By integrating a GST element with a volume of only 78,000 nm³ into the active region of the ITR, strong electromagnetic field confinement and optimized phase transition control are achieved. This design results in an unprecedentedly small footprint (0.031 μm²) and an outstanding optical contrast of 76% at the telecommunication wavelength of 1598 nm. The switching energy of this structure, estimated by numerical simulations, is about 7 pJ, placing it among the most energy-efficient photonic devices. The unique features of this structure—including the extremely small volume of active material, low energy consumption, high thermal stability, and excellent reliability—make it an ideal candidate for implementing tunable optical synapses in neuromorphic systems. Its fast nonlinear response and stable operation enable precise simulation of synaptic weighting and the implementation of learning algorithms in photonic architectures. These results demonstrate that the intelligent combination of plasmonic technology and phase-change materials in the ITR configuration can open new horizons in the design of ultra-compact, low-power photonic devices for next-generation neural networks and optical information processing.

State-of-the-art 300-mm-wafer-based silicon photonics technology features superior fabrication accuracy, in-wafer uniformity, and reproducibility. Using this technology, various photonic devices, such as a large-scale optical switch matrix with a very low energy consumption, high-efficiency optical modulators, are developed for energy-efficient network systems. Novel functional photonic circuits, such as those for optical path-gate logic processing are now being developed. These photonic devices and circuits will be key elements in the energy-efficient and advanced information systems.

In this paper we report on the fabrication, implementation and experimental characterization of an integrated bidirectional communication System-on-Chip (SoC) for transcutaneous bidirectional optical biotelemetry links. The proposed architecture implements a UWB-inspired pulsed coding technique and contains a transmitter and a receiver to achieve a simultaneous bidirectional link. The transmitter generates sub-nanosecond current pulses to directly drive off-chip pulsed vertical cavity semiconductor lasers by means of a digital data coding subsystem and all the needed bias and driving circuits. On the other hand, the receiver manages off-chip fast Si photodiodes and includes signal conditioning, detection and digital data decoding circuits to support high bit rate and energy efficient communication links. The entire solution designed at transistor level has been fabricated in AMS 0.35µm standard CMOS technology into a compact silicon footprint lower than 0.13mm2 employing only 113 transistors and 1 resistor. A specific PCB has been developed together with a suitable test bench implemented on Xilinx Virtex-6 XC6VLX240T FPGA board to properly evaluate the performances and the main characteristics of the ASIC. Furthermore, a 6 GHz, 20 GS/s LeCroy WaveMaster 8600A digital oscilloscope has been employed to investigate the system time response. Preliminary experimental results validated the correct functionality of the overall integrated system demonstrating also its capability to operate, also in a bidirectional mode, at bit rates up to 250 Mbps with pulse widths up to 1.2ns and a minimum total power efficiency of about 160 pJ/bit in the conditions for which the transmitter and the receiver work simultaneously onto the same chip. These results make the developed solution suitable for high performances bidirectional optical biotelemetry links to be applied, e.g., to implantable neural recording/stimulation transcutaneous platforms that generally require communication channels with high up- e down-link bit rates at extremely low energy levels.

PTEN down-regulates the VEGF expression and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer

Wired and wireless seamless networks comprised of optical fiber and radio-wave links can provide high-speed, resilient and flexible broadband services, where one of important items is precise and high-speed control of lightwave based on advanced photonic technologies such as digital coherent, high-speed electro-optic conversion, radio-over-fiber, etc. This talk focuses on such photonic devices for optical and radio-wave links, and also on expected performance and function of seamless networks.

Optical on-chip data transmission enabled by silicon photonics (SiP) is widely considered a key technology to overcome the bandwidth and energy limitations of electrical interconnects. The possibility of integrating optical links into the on-chip communication fabric has opened up a fascinating new research field—Optical Networks-on-Chip (ONoCs)—which has been gaining large interest by the community. SiP devices and materials, however, are still evolving, and dealing with optical data transmission on chip makes designers and researchers face a whole new set of obstacles and challenges. Designing efficient ONoCs is a challenging task and requires a detailed knowledge from on-chip traffic demands and patterns down to the physical layout and implications of integrating both electronic and photonic devices. In this paper, we provide an exhaustive review of recently proposed ONoC architectures, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and outline active research areas. Moreover, we discuss recent research efforts in key enabling technologies, such as on-chip and adaptive laser sources, automatic synthesis tools, and ring heating techniques, which are essential to enable a widespread commercial adoption of ONoCs in the future.

This paper presents some examples of behavioral model hierarchies for optronic and photonic devices. The methods use d to over come the limitations of VHDL-AMS in modeling propagation phenomena are described. This work is part of an ongoing development of mixed-domain simulation tools for the design of optical links in a standard EDA framework.