Open AccessBER evaluation in a multi-channel graphene-silicon photonic crystal hybrid interconnect: a study of fast- and slow-light effects
Author(s) -
Jinhong You,
Zilong Tao,
Yan Luo,
Jie Yang,
Jianghua Zhang,
Xin Zheng,
Xin Cheng,
Tian Jiang
Publication year - 2020
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.392907
Subject(s) - graphene , photonics , bit error rate , channel (broadcasting) , materials science , signal (programming language) , optoelectronics , optics , coupling (piping) , photonic crystal , slow light , attenuation , physics , computer science , telecommunications , nanotechnology , metallurgy , programming language
A comprehensive theoretical investigation on the bit-error ratio (BER) performance of multi-channel photonic interconnects operating in pulsed regimes is presented. Specifically, the optical link contains either a silicon photonic crystal (SiPhC) or a SiPhC-graphene (SiPhC-GRA) waveguide, possessing slow-light (SL) and fast-light (FL) regimes. A series of Gaussian pulses plus complex white noise are placed at input of each channel, with output signals demultiplexed and analyzed by a direct-detection receiver. Moreover, a rigorous theoretical model is proposed to measure signal propagation in SiPhC and SiPhC-GRA, which incorporates all crucial linear and nonlinear optical effects, as well as influences of free-carriers and SL effects. BER results of multi-channel systems are evaluated by utilizing the Fourier series Karhunen-Loeve expansion method. Our findings reveal that good BER performance is acquired at SiPhCs and SiPhC-GRAs in SL regimes but with their footprint about 2.5-fold smaller than FL waveguides. Moreover, the enhanced nonlinearity in SiPhC-GRAs induced by strong graphene-SiPhC coupling causes extra signal degradation than SiPhCs at the same length. This work provides additional insights into the coupling effect between SiPhCs operating in SL regimes and graphene, and their influence on WDM signal transmission, highlighting the potential applications of SiPhC-GRA interconnects in next-generation super-computing systems.