Silicon photonics technology: past, present, and future

Richard Soref

doi:10.1117/12.585284

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7 March 2005 Silicon photonics technology: past, present, and future

Richard Soref

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Proceedings Volume 5730, Optoelectronic Integration on Silicon II; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.585284
Event: Integrated Optoelectronic Devices 2005, 2005, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Due to recent investments by government and industry, silicon-based photonics has a chance of becoming “the” mainstream photonics technology. This paper presents a survey of recent results found in journal articles and conference proceedings. Emerging trends in silicon-based photonic components (waveguides, ultrafast modulators, switches, light sources, detectors, direct bandgap SiGeSn/GeSn devices, photonic-crystal and plasmonic devices) are identified and discussed. In principle, Si PICs and OEICs can operate anywhere within the 0.3 to 100 μm wavelength range -- enabling transceivers, on-chip processing, and interfacing with fibers or free-space light beams. Thus, in addition to the very important 1.55 μm telecomm applications, there are significant Si photonic opportunities throughout the infrared-and-visible spectrum. The push towards smarter, ever-denser on-chip photonic networks, drives a “convergence” of micro-, nano- and plasmo-photonic techniques for progressively smaller devices (Moore’s law for photonics) and for improved functionality of modulators, switches, emitters, detectors, waveguides, resonators, tapers and filters. This convergence includes composite components: monolithic integration of microstrip waveguides, 2D and 3D photonic-crystal elements and metal/Si plasmon-optics that ultilize buried or surface-mounted 2D arrays of metal stripes or nanodots.

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Richard Soref "Silicon photonics technology: past, present, and future", Proc. SPIE 5730, Optoelectronic Integration on Silicon II, (7 March 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.585284

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