Open AccessSilicon Mach-Zehnder modulator of extinction ratio beyond 10 dB at 100-125 Gbps
Author(s) -
Kensuke Ogawa,
Kazuhiro Goi,
Y. T. Tan,
Tsung-Yang Liow,
Xiaoguang Tu,
FengLing Qing,
GuoQiang Lo,
DimLee Kwong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.000b26
Subject(s) - extinction ratio , optics , materials science , insertion loss , silicon , lithium niobate , optoelectronics , physics , wavelength
Silicon Mach-Zehnder modulators with reduced series resistance in lateral PN junction rib-waveguide phase shifters for enhanced high-speed response are fabricated and characterized. Extinction ratio higher than 10 dB is obtained at 10.3-11.7 Gbps with mask margins of 27% (10.3-Gbps 10GBE), 16% (10.7-Gbps STM-64/OC-192) and 10% (11.3-Gbps STM-64/OC-192) in eye-diagram measurements incorporating mask tests using a RF cut-off filter. In unfiltered eye-diagram measurements without mask tests, extinction ratio higher than 13 dB is obtained at 10.0-12.5 Gbps. The silicon modulators reveal high-speed performance comparable with that of lithium-niobate modulators in high-speed optical fiber telecommunications.