Photonic crystal EO modulator fabricated by CMOS compatible process

Power consumption in data centers is increasing dramatically, and it is expected that optical transmission over medium to short distances will significantly reduce power consumption. However, to achieve this, it is necessary to develop elements that convert the electrical signals used in signal processing into optical signals for transmission, and it is necessary to realize compact and power-efficient electro-optical modulators. Since electrical processing is realized in CMOS circuits on a silicon chip, ideally, optical elements made of silicon that can be integrated into CMOS circuits are required, and we have been working on this issue.

In this study, we have successfully developed a device that converts electrical signals into optical signals by integrating a pin diode structure into a photonic crystal resonator using a CMOS compatible fabrication method.