Open AccessA low-power, high-speed, 9-channel germanium-silicon electro-absorption modulator array integrated with digital CMOS driver and wavelength multiplexer
Author(s) -
Ashok V. Krishnamoorthy,
Xuezhe Zheng,
Dazeng Feng,
Jon Lexau,
James F. Buckwalter,
Hiren Thacker,
F Liu,
Ying Luo,
Eric Y. Chang,
Philip Amberg,
Ivan Shubin,
Stevan S. Djordjevic,
J H Lee,
Shiwei Lin,
Hong Liang,
Arin Abed,
Roshanak Shafiiha,
Kannan Raj,
Ron Ho,
Mehdi Asghari,
J. E. Cunningham
Publication year - 2014
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.22.012289
Subject(s) - multiplexer , cmos , materials science , optoelectronics , modulation (music) , arrayed waveguide grating , electro absorption modulator , optics , multiplexing , wavelength , electrical engineering , wavelength division multiplexing , physics , engineering , semiconductor , quantum dot laser , semiconductor laser theory , acoustics
We demonstrate the first germanium-silicon C-band electro-absorption based waveguide modulator array and echelle-grating-based silicon wavelength multiplexer integrated with a digital CMOS driver circuit. A 9-channel, 10Gbps SiGe electro-absorption wavelength-multiplexed modulator array consumed a power of 5.8mW per channel while being modulated at 10.25Gbps by 40nm CMOS drivers delivering peak-to-peak voltage swings of 2V, achieving a modulation energy-efficiency of ~570fJ/bit including drivers. Performance up to 25Gbps on a single-channel SiGe modulator and CMOS driver is also reported.