Hybrid-Integrated Wavelength and Reflectivity Tunable III-V/Silicon Transmitter

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology 2017-04, Vol.35 (8), p.1376-1382
• Main Authors: de Valicourt, Guilhem, Chia-Ming Chang, Eggleston, Michael S., Melikyan, Argishti, Bolle, Cristian, Kaneda, Noriaki, Earnshaw, Mark P., Young-Kai Chen, Maho, Anaelle, Brenot, Romain, Po Dong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cavity resonators; Hybrid integration; Laser tuning; Mirrors; Optical filters; photonic integrated circuits; Reflectivity; Ring lasers; semiconductor optical amplifiers; silicon-on-insulator
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2017.2666155

We demonstrate a novel wavelength-tunable hybrid external cavity silicon-based transmitter with integrated reflectivity tunable mirror. First, designs of a novel hybrid laser based on reflective symmetric and asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer-based mirrors are studied with single- and double-ring intracavity filters, respectively. Asymmetric configuration is used in order to increase the tuning range of a single-ring laser by more than 90%. Furthermore, adjustment of the mirror reflectivity allows for control of laser characteristics, such as threshold current, wall-plug efficiency, output power, and linewidth. Finally, an ultracompact hybrid tunable III-V/Si transmitter with more than 28-nm tuning range is then demonstrated based on such hybrid cavity design and one ring modulator. We successfully achieved modulation up to 40 Gb/s and transmission over 20 (100) km at 25 (10) Gb/s.