Recent years have witnessed many breakthroughs in research on graphene (the first two-dimensional atomic crystal) as well as a significant advance in the mass production of this material. This one-atom-thick fabric of carbon uniquely combines extreme mechanical strength, exceptionally high electronic and thermal conductivities, impermeability to gases, as well as many other supreme properties, all of which make it highly attractive for numerous applications. Here we review recent progress in graphene research and in the development of production methods, and critically analyse the feasibility of various graphene applications.

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A roadmap for graphene

Graphene, the single-atom-thick form of carbon, holds promise for many applications, notably in electronics where it can complement or be integrated with silicon-based devices. Intense efforts have been devoted to develop a key enabling device, a broadband, fast optical modulator with a small device footprint. Now Liu et al. demonstrate an exciting new possibility for graphene in the area of on-chip optical communication: a graphene-based optical modulator integrated with a silicon chip. This new device relies on the electrical tuning of the Fermi level of the graphene sheet, and achieves modulation of guided light at frequencies over 1 gigahertz, together with a broad operating spectrum. At just 25 square micrometres in area, it is one of the smallest of its type. Integrated optical modulators with high modulation speed, small footprint and large optical bandwidth are poised to be the enabling devices for on-chip optical interconnects1,2. Semiconductor modulators have therefore been heavily researched over the past few years. However, the device footprint of silicon-based modulators is of the order of millimetres, owing to its weak electro-optical properties3. Germanium and compound semiconductors, on the other hand, face the major challenge of integration with existing silicon electronics and photonics platforms4,5,6. Integrating silicon modulators with high-quality-factor optical resonators increases the modulation strength, but these devices suffer from intrinsic narrow bandwidth and require sophisticated optical design; they also have stringent fabrication requirements and limited temperature tolerances7. Finding a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible material with adequate modulation speed and strength has therefore become a task of not only scientific interest, but also industrial importance. Here we experimentally demonstrate a broadband, high-speed, waveguide-integrated electroabsorption modulator based on monolayer graphene. By electrically tuning the Fermi level of the graphene sheet, we demonstrate modulation of the guided light at frequencies over 1 GHz, together with a broad operation spectrum that ranges from 1.35 to 1.6 µm under ambient conditions. The high modulation efficiency of graphene results in an active device area of merely 25 µm2, which is among the smallest to date. This graphene-based optical modulation mechanism, with combined advantages of compact footprint, low operation voltage and ultrafast modulation speed across a broad range of wavelengths, can enable novel architectures for on-chip optical communications.

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A graphene-based broadband optical modulator

Metal interconnections are expected to become the limiting factor for the performance of electronic systems as transistors continue to shrink in size. Replacing them by optical interconnections, at different levels ranging from rack-to-rack down to chip-to-chip and intra-chip interconnections, could provide the low power dissipation, low latencies and high bandwidths that are needed. The implementation of optical interconnections relies on the development of micro-optical devices that are integrated with the microelectronics on chips. Recent demonstrations of silicon low-loss waveguides, light emitters, amplifiers and lasers approach this goal, but a small silicon electro-optic modulator with a size small enough for chip-scale integration has not yet been demonstrated. Here we experimentally demonstrate a high-speed electro-optical modulator in compact silicon structures. The modulator is based on a resonant light-confining structure that enhances the sensitivity of light to small changes in refractive index of the silicon and also enables high-speed operation. The modulator is 12 micrometres in diameter, three orders of magnitude smaller than previously demonstrated. Electro-optic modulators are one of the most critical components in optoelectronic integration, and decreasing their size may enable novel chip architectures.

Micrometre-scale silicon electro-optic modulator

Optical technology is poised to revolutionize short-reach interconnects. The leading candidate technology is silicon photonics, and the workhorse of such an interconnect is the optical modulator. Modulators have been improved dramatically in recent years, with a notable increase in bandwidth from the megahertz to the multigigahertz regime in just over half a decade. However, the demands of optical interconnects are significant, and many questions remain unanswered as to whether silicon can meet the required performance metrics. Minimizing metrics such as the device footprint and energy requirement per bit, while also maximizing bandwidth and modulation depth, is non-trivial. All of this must be achieved within an acceptable thermal tolerance and optical spectral width using CMOS-compatible fabrication processes. This Review discusses the techniques that have been (and will continue to be) used to implement silicon optical modulators, as well as providing an outlook for these devices and the candidate solutions of the future.

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Silicon optical modulators

An overview is presented of the current state-of-the-art in silicon nanophotonic ring resonators. Basic theory of ring resonators is discussed, and applied to the peculiarities of submicron silicon photonic wire waveguides: the small dimensions and tight bend radii, sensitivity to perturbations and the boundary conditions of the fabrication processes. Theory is compared to quantitative measurements. Finally, several of the more promising applications of silicon ring resonators are discussed: filters and optical delay lines, label-free biosensors, and active rings for efficient modulators and even light sources.

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Silicon microring resonators

This paper focuses on understanding the phase efficiency and optical loss of MOS-capacitor-based silicon waveguide phase shifters. A total of nine designs have been fabricated using poly-silicon and characterized at wavelengths around 1.55 /spl mu/m. Detailed comparison of design parameters shows that scaling down the waveguide dimensions, placing the capacitor gate oxide near the center of the optical mode, and reducing the oxide thickness significantly enhance phase modulation efficiency. Our best design to date demonstrates a /spl pi/-radian phase shift with 0.8-cm device length and 3-V drive. This phase shifter has a transmission loss of 15 dB, the primary source of which is the poly-silicon regions inside the device. An improved material can reduce loss to as little as 4 dB.

Phase modulation efficiency and transmission loss of silicon optical phase shifters

Feature Issue on Nanoscale Integrated Photonics for Optical Networks Fiber optic communication is well established today in long-haul, metro, and some data communication segments. Optical technologies continue to penetrate more into the network owing to the increase in bandwidth demands; however, they still suffer from too expensive solutions. Silicon photonics is a new technology developing integrated photonic devices and circuits based on the unique silicon material that has already revolutionized the face of our planet through the microelectronics industry. This paper reviews silicon photonics technology at Intel, showing how using the same mature, low-cost silicon CMOS technology we develop many of the building blocks required in current and future optical networks. After introducing the silicon photonics motivation for networks, we discuss the various devices--waveguides, modulators, Raman amplifiers and lasers, photodetectors, optical interconnects, and photonic crystals--from the points of view of applications, principle of operation, process development, and performance results.

Integrated silicon photonics for optical networks [Invited]

A semiconductor waveguide based optical receiver is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes an absorption region including a first type of semiconductor region proximate to a second type of semiconductor region. The first type of semiconductor is to absorb light in a first range of wavelengths and the second type of semiconductor to absorb light in a second range of wavelengths. A multiplication region is defined proximate to and separate from the absorption region. The multiplication region includes an intrinsic semiconductor region in which there is an electric field to multiply the electrons created in the absorption region.

Germanium/silicon avalanche photodetector with separate absorption and multiplication regions

The data transmission bandwidth of a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor Si optical modulator is extended from 1 to 4 Gb/s through the introduction of custom-designed low-impedance drive circuitry Two distinct drive circuits were produced and tested-the first targeting 25 Gb/s data rate and 3 dB extinction ratio (ER), and the second having reduced voltage swing (13 V single-ended swing) while achieving an open eye at 4 Gb/s The speed, power, and ER data collected are used to build a quantitative discussion of the challenges in achieving a power-efficient free-carrier modulator at bit rates above 1 Gb/s

Customized drive electronics to extend silicon optical modulators to 4 gb/s

We demonstrate a 4λx12.5Gbps Silicon Photonics CWDM link integrating all optical components, electronics, and packaging technologies required to form the link.

Ansheng Liu

Papers

Phase modulation efficiency and transmission loss of silicon optical phase shifters

Integrated silicon photonics for optical networks [Invited]

Germanium/silicon avalanche photodetector with separate absorption and multiplication regions

Customized drive electronics to extend silicon optical modulators to 4 gb/s

A 4×12.5 Gb/s CWDM Si photonics link using integrated hybrid silicon lasers