Semiconductor silicon photonics research made an important breakthrough

Based on silicon based micro nano waveguide in silicon photonics can be achieved as a monolithic high density photoelectric ultra small volume, low power consumption, CMOS compatible integration, it has been recognized as a breakthrough in computer and communication, large capacity and high-speed information transmission and processing technology of a bottleneck of the ideal.

Before the breakthrough of Semiconductor Research Institute in the field of world leading. By the academician Wang Qiming pioneered the study of silicon-based photonics, in recent years in the light modulator and large scale optical switch and other aspects of continuing to maintain world-class research. Recently, Xiao Xi, Li Zhiyong, Terry Chui and Li Xianyao young researchers in Yu Yude, Yu Jin and Chu Tao researcher under the guidance in the development of optical modulator devices from electrical to optical signal conversion function which can best represent the level of silicon photonics on the independent research group pioneered and recognized by the world the interdigitated reverse PN junction optoelectronic structure (Figure 1), in the integration of Technology Engineering Center and core international company (SIMC) to help domestic enterprises, using CMOS technology, the successful development of MZI Maher - Ceng De interferometer type (Figure 2) and the MRR micro ring resonant cavity (Figure 3) two all silicon waveguide modulator, and experimental verification of the key modulation rate both reached 44Gbps ultra high frequency modulation rate (up to the existing test system, the measured modulation rate is expected to limit) there may be improved by testing Further improvement of the system.

The modulation rate of MRR modulator to lead the original world record as much as 14Gbps level and ranked first in the world; by the MZI modulator test system, the measured modulation rate has entered the world's top three, second only to the latest results of Alcatel Lucent and University of Surrey just released this year 50Gbps. Other indicators of the device have been tested or have reached or exceeded the world class level.

The device development work from the creative, design, production to test the whole done by domestic Youth Science and technology personnel, have complete independent intellectual property rights.

These achievements mark the Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of semiconductors silicon modulator to occupy the domestic absolute advantage, also marks the study of silicon photonics in China has reached the international advanced level in the research on the key components. This is the foundation for the realization of the ultra high speed and ultra low power silicon optical interconnection, which lays the foundation for our country to meet the revolutionary changes of ultra high speed and large capacity signal transmission and processing in the field of computer and communication.

The research work mainly by the CAS knowledge innovation project funded an important direction for implementation of the project started, the research gradually got during the execution of the national 973 project, 863 project and National Natural Science Foundation of china.

Table 1: comparison of the performance of 30Gb/s based MZI modulator at home and abroad

Table 2: silicon based micro ring modulator performance comparison