Open AccessPhotothermal optical modulation of ultra-compact hybrid Si-VO_2 ring resonators
Author(s) -
Judson D. Ryckman,
V. Díez-Blanco,
Joyeeta Nag,
Robert E. Marvel,
B.K. Choi,
Richard F. Haglund,
Sharon M. Weiss
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.20.013215
Subject(s) - materials science , resonator , optics , optoelectronics , laser , dielectric , optical switch , physics
We demonstrate photothermally induced optical switching of ultra-compact hybrid Si-VO₂ ring resonators. The devices consist of a sub-micron length ~70 nm thick patch of phase-changing VO₂ integrated onto silicon ring resonators as small as 1.5 μm in radius. The semiconductor-to-metal transition (SMT) of VO₂ is triggered using a 532 nm pump laser, while optical transmission is probed using a tunable cw laser near 1550 nm. We observe optical modulation greater than 10dB from modest quality-factor (~10³) resonances, as well as a large -1.26 nm change in resonant wavelength Δλ, resulting from the large change in the dielectric function of VO₂ in the insulator-to-metal transition achieved by optical pumping.