Open AccessBistability and self-pulsation phenomena in silicon microring resonators based on nonlinear optical effects
Author(s) -
Shaowu Chen,
Libin Zhang,
Yonghao Fei,
T. Cao
Publication year - 2012
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.20.007454
Subject(s) - resonator , optics , optical bistability , kerr effect , modulation (music) , bistability , dispersion (optics) , nonlinear optics , materials science , absorption (acoustics) , optical power , radius , self phase modulation , wavelength , optoelectronics , physics , nonlinear system , laser , computer security , quantum mechanics , computer science , acoustics
Bistability (BS) and self-pulsation (SP) phenomena in silicon microring resonators (MRR) with intense CW light injection are studied. Several nonlinear optical effects including Kerr effect, two-photon absorption, free carrier absorption and free carrier dispersion are taken into account. The threshold optical intensity of BS and SP is derived from the coupled mode theory and a linear stability analysis method. The influences of MRR's parameters (carrier lifetime, linear loss and radius) and light injection conditions (input power, wavelength detuning) on the characteristics of SP (modulation depth and oscillating frequency) are analyzed and discussed. It is shown that, SP occurs only if the carrier lifetime ranges from several ps to several-hundred ps and the input light intensity is higher than 10⁶W/cm². The modulation depth of SP can be as large as 8dB and the associated oscillating frequency is in the range from several GHz to beyond 10 GHz.