Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop

NUSOD 2013

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Outline
New feature highlights
Electro-optic modulators
Circuit level view
Modulator categories
Component simulation and
parameter extraction
Electro-optic modulator examples
Travelling-wave PN junction
Interleaved PN junction in microring
Nanobeam PC with EO polymer Dylan McGuire
Senior R&D Scientist
Summary Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Questions and answers dmcguire.support@lumerical.com

Lumerical Solutions, Inc. 2

 Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop
NEW FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

EDA Integration with Mentor Graphics

Lumericals products can be integrated into EDA flow

Layout photonic circuits in Mentor Graphics Pyxis
Normally used for electrical circuit layout and simulation
EDA Integration with Mentor Graphics

Export circuit from Mentor Graphics Pyxis to Lumericals

INTERCONNECT for photonic circuit simulation
User Defined Material Models

MODE Solutions 2.5D FDTD Propagator supports

user defined materials
Simulate linear and nonlinear dispersive, gain effects etc
over large propagation distances

P(t ) 0 E (t ) Raman (t ) E 2 (t ) Power (dB)
( 3)

Raman
( 3) 2

Raman ( ) 2
( 3) 0

Raman 2 j Raman 2
3D Electrical Simulation with DEVICE 3

Automated, adaptive
finite element mesh
Enhanced integration
with photonic
simulation tools
New analysis tools to
simplify common tasks
Enhanced solver physics
and performance

More information:
http://docs.lumerical.com/en/device/ref_fdtd_new_features_new_features_for_version_3_0.html
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
DEVICE > 3D Simulation

True 3D finite element solver

Always supported 3D CAD
Easy to extend current designs to 3D
Simulate arbitrary geometries
Improved solver performance
with multithreading

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

DEVICE > Improved Analysis Tools

New E-field and charge monitors

Record carrier density (n,p),
electrostatic potential, and field
Volume/cross-section/line
Integrated analysis
Calculate total/net charge
Easy export for electro-optic
simulations
No script required!

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

DEVICE > Improved Analysis Tools

Total charge integration for junction capacitance

Junction capacitance

C = dQ/dV

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

 Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop
ELECTRO-OPTIC MODULATORS

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Multichannel Optical Transceiver

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Circuit Model

T. Baehr-Jones, et al., Ultralow drive voltage silicon traveling-wave modulator, Optics Express, 20, 12014 (2012).

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Modulator Overview
General principle
Changing the carrier density (n, p) or electrostatic field perturbs the
material index
Charge modulation designs
PN junction (depletion mode)
PIN/PN junction (charge injection)
MOS capacitor/SISCAP
Field modulation designs
Electro-optic polymer slot and PC cavity
Guided wave structures
Travelling wave (Mach-Zehnder)
Microring resonators
Photonic crystals

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

PN Junction

Reverse bias operation

Junction width modulation
Not limited by recombination lifetime
Control capacitance with design
Directly related to modulation efficiency
Low C low loss: travelling wave
High C high loss: microring

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

PIN/PN

Forward bias operation (charge injection)

Carrier-lifetime limited
Strong modulation effect at the expense of large currents
Low-loss in OFF state
Shorter modulation lengths
Va

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

MOS Capacitor/SISCAP

Operate in weak accumulation or inversion

Loss depends on surface charge layer
Accumulation: capacitance insensitive to frequency
Travelling wave and microring structures

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Electro-Optic Modulators > Simulation Workflow

Electrical Material Optical

simulation index simulation
I-V/C-V response From spatial Effective index
Charge/electric field charge/field data Loss
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Electro-Optic Modulators > Simulation Workflow
Va

Electrical Material Optical

simulation index simulation
I-V/C-V response From spatial Effective index
Charge/electric field charge/field data Loss
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Electro-Optic Modulators > Simulation Workflow
Va

Electrical Material Optical

simulation index simulation
I-V/C-V response From spatial Effective index
Charge/electric field charge/field data Loss
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Electro-Optic Modulators > Modulation Response
neff 2L 0
Phase change neff V
0 2L

2 neff (V1 ) L 2 neff (V2 ) L

Modulation E V1 ,V2
E0 e 0 e 0
1

IL
2 Parameter Value
E
T L 2mm
E0
ER V 0.68V

V ER 24.4dB
IL 0.4dB

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Electro-Optic Modulators > Modulation Response
neff 2L 0
Phase change neff V
0 2L

2 neff (V1 ) L 2 neff (V2 ) L

Modulation E V1 ,V2
E0 e 0 e 0
1

IL
2
E
T
E0
ER

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

 Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop
MACH-ZEHNDER MODULATOR

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

 Depletion Mode PN Junction

Travelling wave structure

Electrical simulation: DEVICE, 2D cross-section
Optical simulation: MODE Solutions, INTERCONNECT

Reference: T. Baehr-Jones, et al., Ultralow drive voltage silicon traveling-wave modulator,

Optics Express, 20, 12014 (2012).

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Depletion Mode PN Junction > C-V Simulation

Peak doping concentrations from reference

Adjusted implant profile to match C-V response
0.28
Electron density (cm-3s-1), log-scale simulated
0.26 measured [1]

Capacitance (fF/um)
0.24

0.22

0.2

0.18

0.16

-1 0 1 2 3 4
Voltage (V)

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Depletion Mode PN Junction > Phase Response

Model of Soref & Bennet used to convert carrier

density in to local refractive index
n 8.810 8.510 22 18 0.8
1.55 m n p

1.55m 8.5 1018 n 6.0 1018 p
2.5 6
Relative phase shift (rad.)

2 5.5
1.5
5

Loss (dB/cm)
1
4.5
0.5

0 4
measured (bot.) [1]
-0.5 measured (top) [1] 3.5
simulated
-1 3
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Voltage (V) Voltage (V)

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Depletion Mode PN Junction > Transmission

Phase and loss data from

component simulations

Example project online:

http://docs.lumerical.com/en/device/integrated_optics_travelling_wave_modulator.html
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
 Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop
MORE ELECTRO-OPTIC MODULATOR
EXAMPLES

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

 Interleaved PN Junction

Microring structure
Electrical simulation: DEVICE (3D)
Optical simulation: FDTD Solutions (3D),
INTERCONNECT

Reference: J. C. Rosenberg, et al., "A 25 Gbps silicon microring modulator based on

an interleaved junction," Optics Express, 20, 26411 (2012)

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Interleaved PN Junction > C-V Response

Peak doping concentrations from reference

Adjusted implant profile to match C-V response

Ref.: 0.65fF/um at 1V

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Interleaved PN Junction > Phase Response

V-L calculated from phase referenced to 0V

Ref.: 35dB/cm

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Interleaved PN Junction > Circuit Model

Phase and loss from component simulation

Coupling coefficients and passive waveguide properties
can be simulated with MODE Solutions

Example project online:

http://docs.lumerical.com/en/device/integrated_optics_interleaved_junction_microring.html
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Nanobeam Photonic Crystal

Waveguide-integrated 1D PC
Electrical simulation: DEVICE (3D)
Optical simulation: FDTD Solutions (3D)

Reference: Biao Qi et al., "Analysis of Electrooptic Modulator With 1-D Slotted

Photonic Crystal Nanobeam Cavity," IEEE Phot. Tech. Lett., 23, 992 (2011)

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > Bandwidth

Electrically, the structure is a semiconductor-

insulator-semiconductor capacitor (SISCAP)
1
Intrinsic bandwidth: f3dB
2 2 Rslab Cslot

Rslab Rslab

Cslot

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > Bandwidth

Slab resistance calculated with "test" contact

Cross-section gives conductance per unit length

R = V/I

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > Bandwidth

Electric field monitors calculate net charge

Electric field through the surface of the monitor

C = dQ/dV

Device length: 14.8um

f3dB = 120GHz (ref.: 86GHz)
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > Electric Field

Electric field in EO polymer modifies the index

Electric field monitor records and exports field profile
as a function of voltage

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > Resonance Shift

Make field-dependent EO polymer

1
nV , r 33n3polyE V , r
2
Sweep over bias voltage
High Q analysis: calculate resonance shift
and Q factor of cavity

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Nanobeam Photonic Crystal > VFWHM

Q-factor and resonance frequency gives FWHM

fR
Q c 0.43nm
f f
Determine V required to shift fR by f
Device length is 14.8um

0.8nm/V

VFW HM 0.43nm 0.54V

0.8nm/V
Compare to "V-L": 0.8mV-cm (ref.: 0.28mV-cm)

Example project online:

http://docs.lumerical.com/en/device/integrated_optics_nanobeam_pc_eo_modulator.html
Lumerical Solutions, Inc.
 Electro-Optic Modulators Workshop
SUMMARY

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Summary
Photonic integrated circuit simulation
Optoelectronic component simulation requires a comprehensive
suite of tools
Component-level simulations provide insight into physical system
behaviour
DEVICE calculates the electrical response of semiconductor-based
components: charge, electrostatics
FDTD and MODE Solutions calculate the optical response for systems with
complex, electrically-driven materials
Component characterization can be used to develop portable, re-
useable circuit models in INTERCONNECT
Efficiently simulate large, complex optical circuits
Lumerical's optoelectronic design tools are designed for accurate
and efficient simulation and analysis

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Summary
More Information

A copy of the presentation and project files will be

available on our website
http://www.lumerical.com/support/courses/Lumerical_NUSOD2013.html
Connect with us on LinkedIn
Access insightful information on our products, services and
upcoming webinars

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.

Summary
Contact our product experts

Dr. James Pond Amy Liu

FDTD Solutions MODE Solutions
jpond.support@lumerical.com aliu.support@lumerical.com
Dylan McGuire Dr. Jackson Klein
DEVICE INTERCONNECT
dmcguire.support@lumerical.com jklein.support@lumerical.com

Sales inquiries: sales@lumerical.com

Sales representatives: www.lumerical.com/company/representatives.html
Free, 30 day trials at www.lumerical.com
Connect with us on LinkedIn

Lumerical Solutions, Inc.