Optical modulators using semiconductor nano-structures: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:36, 3 June 2009

Revision as of 13:37, 3 June 2009

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Acousto-optic modulators are used to vary and control laser beam intensity. A Bragg configuration gives a single first order output beam, whose intensity is directly linked to the power of RF control signal. The rise time of the modulator is simply deduced by the necessary time for the acoustic wave to travel through the laser beam. For highest speeds the laser beam will be focused down, forming a beam waist as it passes through the modulator.

In an AOM a laser beam is caused to interact with a high frequency [[ultrasonic sound wave]] inside an optically polished block of crystal or glass (the interaction medium). By carefully orientating the laser with respect to the sound waves the beam can be made to reflect off the acoustic wave-fronts ([[Bragg diffraction]]). Therefore, when the sound field is present the beam is deflected and when it is absent the beam passes through undeviated. By switching the sound field on and off very rapidly the deflected beam appears and disappears in response (digital modulation). By varying the amplitude of the acoustic waves the intensity of the deflected beam can similarly be modulated (analogue modulation).

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Optical modulators can be implemented using Semiconductor Nano-structures to increase the performance like high operation, high stability, high speed response, and highly compact system. Highly compact electro-optical modulators have been demonstrated in compound semiconductors.<ref>Sadagopan, T., Choi, S. J., Dapkus, P. D. & Bond, A. E. Digest of the LEOS Summer Topical Meetings MC2–-3 (IEEE, Piscataway, New Jersey (2004)</ref> However, in silicon, electro-optical modulation has been demonstrated only in large structures, and is therefore inappropriate for effective on-chip

integration. Electro-optical control of light on silicon is challenging owing to its weak electro-optical properties. The large dimensions of previously demonstrated structures were necessary to achieve a significant modulation of the transmission in spite of the small change of refractive index of silicon. Liu et al. have recently demonstrated a high-speed silicon optical modulator based on a [[metal–oxide–semiconductor]] (MOS) configuration<ref>Liu, A. et al. Nature 427, 615–618 (2004)</ref>. Their work showed a high-speed optical active device on silicon—acritical milestone towards optoelectronic integration on silicon.