Advanced Silicon Photonic Device Architectures for Optical Communications: Proposals and Demonstrations by Wesley David Sacher A
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Advanced Silicon Photonic Device Architectures for Optical Communications: Proposals and Demonstrations by Wesley David Sacher A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto c Copyright 2015 by Wesley David Sacher Abstract Advanced Silicon Photonic Device Architectures for Optical Communications: Proposals and Demonstrations Wesley David Sacher Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2015 Photonic integrated circuits implemented on silicon (Si) hold the potential for densely integrated electro-optic and passive devices manufactured by the high-volume fabrication and sophisticated assembly processes used for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronics. However, high index contrast Si photonics has a number of func- tional limitations. In this thesis, several devices are proposed, designed, and experimen- tally demonstrated to overcome challenges in the areas of resonant modulation, waveguide loss, fiber-to-chip coupling, and polarization control. The devices were fabricated using foundry services at IBM and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME). First, we describe coupling modulated microrings, in which the coupler between a microring and the bus waveguide is modulated. The device circumvents the modula- tion bandwidth vs. resonator linewidth trade-off of conventional intracavity modulated microrings. We demonstrate a Si coupling-modulated microring with a small-signal mod- ulation response free of the parasitic resonator linewidth limitations at frequencies up to about 6× the linewidth. Comparisons of eye diagrams show that coupling modulation achieved data rates > 2× the rate attainable with intracavity modulation. Second, we demonstrate a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-on-Si photonic platform with in- dependent Si3N4 and Si waveguides and taper transitions to couple light between the layers. The platform combines the excellent passive waveguide properties of Si3N4 and the compatibility of Si waveguides with electro-optic devices. Within the platform, we propose and demonstrate dual-level, Si3N4-on-Si, fiber-to-chip grating couplers that si- ii multaneously have wide bandwidths and high coupling efficiencies. Conventional Si and Si3N4 grating couplers suffer from a trade-off between bandwidth and coupling efficiency. The dual-level grating coupler achieved a peak coupling efficiency of -1.3 dB and a 1-dB bandwidth of 80 nm, a record for the coupling efficiency-bandwidth product. Finally, we describe polarization rotator-splitters and controllers based on mode con- version between the fundamental transverse magnetic polarized mode and a high order transverse electric polarized mode in vertically asymmetric waveguides. We demonstrate the first polarization rotator-splitters and controllers that are fully compatible with stan- dard active Si photonic platforms and extend the concept to our Si3N4-on-Si photonic platform. iii Acknowledgements I thank my supervisor, Prof. Joyce Poon, for her ongoing support and mentorship over the past six years, and for making my studies at the University of Toronto possible. The technical advice and training she provided have formed the basis of my graduate research and knowledge of integrated optics. Also, none of the experiments in this thesis would have been possible without her hard work and dedication to arranging collaborations and tapeouts and gathering the support and equipment necessary for our measurements. I also thank my mentors at IBM, Dr. William Green, Dr. Tymon Barwicz, and Dr. Yurii Vlasov for guiding me through my first tapeouts and helping me develop photonic design and measurement skills. Our microring modulator demonstration was only possible because of Dr. William Green’s support and technical expertise. I credit our work on polarization management devices to many hours of training and technical advice from Dr. Tymon Barwicz. I thank Dr. Ying Huang and Dr. Patrick Guo-Qiang Lo at IME A*STAR for their academic contributions, technical expertise, and patience throughout our tapeouts at IME. I thank Prof. Ted Sargent and Prof. J. Stewart Aitchison for being part of my thesis and candidacy committees. I thank Prof. Bruce Francis for being part of my thesis committee, discussions about block diagrams, and a great course on signals and systems. I thank Prof. Rajeev Ram and Prof. Sean Hum for being part of my thesis committee. I’m thankful for over ten years of friendship and technical discussions with Pete Scourboutakos. Also, I’m grateful for design and layout help from Jared Mikkelsen, Hasitha Jayatilleka, Alex Mackay, Jason Mak, and Zheng Yong, and measurement and design help from Benjamin Taylor, Junho Jeong, Torrey Thiessen, and Chaoxuan Ma. I’d also like to thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for financial support during my graduate studies. Above all, I thank my parents and brother for their constant encouragement and support. iv Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv List of Figures viii List of Symbols and Abbreviations xviii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Silicon passive waveguide characteristics .................. 3 1.2Fiber-to-chipcoupling............................ 7 1.3Microringmodulators............................. 10 1.4Thesiscontributionsandorganization.................... 12 2 Coupling modulated microrings 14 2.1Fabricateddevices.............................. 16 2.2Small-signalmodulationmeasurements................... 18 2.3PRBSmodulationandeyediagrammeasurements............. 21 2.4Overcominglowfrequencydistortionsincouplingmodulation...... 25 2.5Analysisofthemodulationefficiency.................... 27 2.6Summary................................... 31 3 Silicon polarization rotator-splitters 32 3.1Bi-leveltaperpolarizationrotator-splitter.................. 33 3.1.1 Detailedpolarizationrotator-splitterdesignandoperation.... 35 3.1.2 Polarizationrotator-splittermeasurements............. 36 3.2Polarizationsplitter-rotatorwithimprovedcrosstalk............ 40 3.3Polarizationcontroller............................ 42 3.4Summary................................... 46 v 4 Silicon nitride on silicon photonic platform 47 4.1 Si3N4-on-SifabricationatIME........................ 49 4.2Waveguideandtransitioncharacteristics.................. 52 4.2.1 Propagation losses .......................... 52 4.2.2 Interlayertransitions......................... 53 4.2.3 Waveguidecrossings......................... 57 4.3Summary................................... 59 5 Silicon nitride on silicon grating coupler 60 5.1Devicedesign................................. 62 5.2Experimentalresults............................. 67 5.3 Integration example: 1 × 4tunablemultiplexer/demultiplexer...... 70 5.4Summary................................... 74 6 Silicon nitride on silicon polarization rotator-splitters 75 6.1Polarizationrotator-splitterdesign..................... 76 6.2Experimentalresults............................. 78 6.3Polarizationcontroller............................ 80 6.4Summary................................... 84 7Conclusion 85 7.1Futurework:microringmodulators..................... 86 7.2Futurework:polarizationrotator-splitters................. 88 7.3 Future work: silicon nitride on silicon photonic platform . ........ 89 A Analysis of microring resonator modulators 91 A.1Time-dependentmicroringtransmission................... 92 A.2Intracavitylossmodulation......................... 95 A.2.1Small-signalapproximation..................... 96 A.2.2Numericalresults........................... 98 A.3Intracavityindexmodulation........................ 100 A.3.1Small-signalapproximation..................... 100 A.3.2Numericalresults........................... 102 A.4Couplingmodulation............................. 103 A.4.1Small-signalapproximation..................... 103 A.4.2Numericalresults........................... 105 A.5Discussion................................... 107 vi A.6Summary................................... 110 B Coupling modulation for binary phase-shift keying 111 B.1Principleofoperation............................. 114 B.2Experimentaldemonstration......................... 117 B.3Summary................................... 121 Bibliography 123 vii List of Figures 1.1 Cross-section schematic of a typical Si photonic platform consisting of three Si etch depths, metallization, Si doping, Ge deposition, and Ge dop- ing. Typical thicknesses and cross-sections of the passive Si waveguide, grating coupler, electro-optic modulator, and photodiode are shown. The waveguide layer thicknesses are labeled in green, the Si modulator doped regions are labeled in red, and the Ge photodiode doping is omitted for simplicity.Nottoscale............................ 2 1.2 Characteristics of Si waveguides with SiO2 cladding. (a), (b) Computed major electric field components of (a) the TE0 mode and (b) the TM0 mode for a 220 nm × 500 nm waveguide at a wavelength of 1550 nm. (c) Computed neff of 220 nm thick waveguides versus waveguide width at a wavelength of 1550 nm; the waveguide is single-mode for widths less than about450nm.................................. 4 1.3 Our measurement of the waveguide loss of the TE0 mode in a 150 nm × 500nmwaveguidefabricatedatA*STARIME............... 5 1.4 (a) Computed birefringence of 220 nm and 150 nm thick waveguides versus waveguide width at a wavelength of 1550 nm. (b) Schematic of a polar- ization diversity scheme for coupling single-mode optical fiber