Silicon coupled-ring resonator structures for slow light applications: potential, impairments and ultimate limits

Canciamilla, A., Torregiani, M., Ferrari, C., Morichetti, F., De La Rue, R.M. , Samarelli, A., Sorel, M. and Melloni, A. (2010) Silicon coupled-ring resonator structures for slow light applications: potential, impairments and ultimate limits. Journal of Optics, 12(10), (doi: 10.1088/2040-8978/12/10/104008)

Abstract

Coupled-ring resonator-based slow light structures are reported and discussed. By combining the advantages of high index contrast silicon-on-insulator technology with an efficient thermo-optical activation, they provide an on-chip solution with a bandwidth of up to 100 GHz and a slowdown factor of up to 16, as well as a continuous reconfiguration scheme and a fine tunability. The performance of these devices is investigated in detail for both static and dynamic operation, in order to evaluate their potential in optical signal processing applications at high bit rate. The main impairments imposed by fabrication imperfections are also discussed in relation to the slowdown factor. In particular, the analysis of the impact of backscatter, disorder and two-photon absorption on the device transfer function reveals the ultimate limits of these structures and provides valuable design rules for their optimization

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Absorption CHIP coupled resonator optical waveguides DELAY Design device devices DISORDER fabrication FILTERS impact integrated optics light optical OPTICAL WAVE-GUIDES performance ring resonators si silicon silicon photonics silicon-on-insulator slow light technologies technology
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sorel, Professor Marc and De La Rue, Professor Richard and Samarelli, Mr Antonio
• Authors: Canciamilla, A., Torregiani, M., Ferrari, C., Morichetti, F., De La Rue, R.M., Samarelli, A., Sorel, M., and Melloni, A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Journal of Optics
• ISSN: 2040-8978