This paper explores the modelling of an integrated photonic power divider that utilizes the degree of crystallization of an Sb2Se3 phase-change material (PCM) patch to achieve variable power distribution ratios. The fraction of crystallinity of Sb2Se3, ranging from 0 to 1, provides a dynamic control mechanism for the device. Simulations were performed using a combination of optimization algorithms and wave optics interface within COMSOL Multiphysics® to arrive at the optimum distribution of amorphous and crystalline fractions to achieve a required power distribution. The transmission coefficients serve as control variables to direct light to the upper or lower port, allowing the power divider to function as a reconfigurable and compact photonic device. These findings provide valuable insights into the use of PCMs for advancing photonic power dividers.
This paper presents an optimized, reconfigurable, ultra-compact mode converter device designed for efficient conversion between transverse electric (TE) modes, specifically TE0 and TE1. The mode conversion is achieved through the manipulation of an antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) phase-change material (PCM) layer, integrated on the top surface of a silicon waveguide. The device’s performance was investigated numerically at a wavelength of 1550 nm, focusing on optimizing the size of the phase-change layer to enhance transmission and minimize losses. With a footprint of just 4 μm × 3 μm, this converter is highly suitable for integrated photonic systems, including optical communication, signal processing, and photonic circuits. The dynamic reconfigurability is facilitated by the reversible phase transitions of Sb2Se3 between its amorphous and crystalline states, enabling low-loss mode conversion. By leveraging this material and its properties, the converter achieves high transmission efficiency with minimal insertion loss. These findings pave the way for more compact and efficient photonic devices, addressing the critical demand for reconfigurable mode converters in integrated photonics. This work represents a significant advance in device performance and footprint reduction, positioning it as a state-of-the-art solution for next-generation photonic applications.
Associative learning as a building block for machine learning network is a largely unexplored area. We present in this paper our results on the demonstration of an all optical associative learning element, realized on an integrated photonic platform using phase change materials combined with on-chip cascaded directional couplers. We implement the framework on our optical on-chip associative learning network, and experimentally demonstrate image classification on a publicly-accessible cat-dog dataset. The experimental implementation harnesses optical wavelength division-multiplexing, thus increasing the information channel capacity to process our machine learning task. Our unconventional approach to machine learning demonstrated experimentally on an optical platform could potentially open up new research possibilities in machine learning hardware architectures and algorithms.
The Ge2Sb2Te5 phase-change alloy (GST) is known for its dramatic complex refractive index (and electrical) contrast between its amorphous and crystalline phases. Switching between such phases is also non-volatile and can be achieved on the nanosecond timescale. The combination of GST with the widespread SiN integrated optical waveguide platform led to the proposal of the all-optical integrated phase-change memory, which exploits the interaction of the guided mode evanescent field with a thin layer of GST on the waveguide top surface. The relative simplicity of the architecture allows for its flexible application for data storage, logic gating, arithmetic and neuromorphic computing. Read operation relies on the transmitted signal optical attenuation, due to the GST extinction coefficient. Write/erase operations are performed via the same optical path, with a higher power ad-hoc pulsing scheme, which locally increases the temperature and triggers either the melt-quench process (write) or recrystallization (erase), encoding the information into the GST crystal fraction. Here we investigate the physical mechanisms involved in the write/erase and read processes via computational methods, with the view to explore novel architecture concepts that improve memory speed, energy efficiency and density. We show the achievements of the development of a 3D simulation framework, performing self-consistent calculations for wavepropagation, heat diffusion and phase-transition processes. We illustrate a viable memory optimization route, which adopts sub-wavelength plasmonic dimer nanoantenna structures to harvest the optical energy and maximize light-matter interaction. We calculate both a speed and energy efficiency improvement of around one order of magnitude, with respect to the conventional (non-plasmonic) device architecture.
Phase-change materials (PCMs) provide a route to adding dynamic tunability and reconfigurability to many types of photonic devices by changing the phase-state of the PCM itself. In this work we discuss the use of the phase-change alloy GeSbTe (GST) in the design of dynamically tunable filters operating in the infrared. GST is used to manipulate the extraordinary optical transmission of a periodic hole-array in a metallic layer, so creating ultra-thin, tunable band-pass filters. We discuss the use of such filters for multispectral imaging, suggest some approaches to overcome various practical challenges, and, finally, show that through the use of appropriate post processing algorithms this tunable filter could provide a cheap, ultra-thin, real-time, and relatively high performance multispectral imaging device.
The use of photonics in computing is a hot topic of interest, driven by the need for ever-increasing speed along with reduced power consumption. In existing computing architectures, photonic data storage would dramatically improve the performance by reducing latencies associated with electrical memories. At the same time, the rise of ‘big data’ and ‘deep learning’ is driving the quest for non-von Neumann and brain-inspired computing paradigms. To succeed in both aspects, we have demonstrated non-volatile multi-level photonic memory avoiding the von Neumann bottleneck in the existing computing paradigm and a photonic synapse resembling the biological synapses for brain-inspired computing using phase-change materials (Ge2Sb2Te5).
We have investigated the feasibility of a probe storate technique based on the interaction of a conductive tip with a phase-change (PC) medium. The electro-thermal writing process was modeled using the element method. The crystalline and the amorphous phases were taken into account as a possible initial state of the phase-change material. The analysis of the corresponding current flow and temperature distributions showed that the choice of the initial state of the PC material greatly influences the shape of the written dots, due to the important difference in the electrical properties of these two states. When introducing the kinetics of the phase-change process in the model, the simuation results indicated indeed, that the crystalline dots spread throught the thickness of the PC layer, whereas the amorphous dots are more localized at the top of the layer. One can then expect important effects on the readout process (and contrast) and the erasing mechanism, depending on the initial state of the storage medium.
We have developed a model to simulate the phase-change behavior of GeSbTe thin film alloys. Based on classical nucleation theory we described formation of crystalline clusters using chemical rate equations. Assuming that the phase-change proceeds by interactions of single GeSbTe molecules with growing or decaying crystalline clusters we used a set of differential equations to account for the population density changes of clusters. We defined reaction rates encountered in model equations by considering possible molecular processes during the phase-change process. To validate the model we simulated experiments taken from the literature. It can predict the kinetics of crystallization well, describe transient effectis correctly, and consider influecnes of substrates on crystallization successfully.
The recording performance of MAMMOS-type disks is investigated by computational modelling, and strategies for improving written bit shape and regularity are suggested. Laser power, record layer coercivity and record field waveform are found to be important in determining shape and regularity of recorded marks. The LP-MFM method is shown to be suitable for recording short marks with accurately located edges.
Linear superposition techniques are often used to simulate waveforms in a variety of applications. In particular, superposition techniques have been used extensively to quickly and efficiently analyze readout waveforms from optical storage media. However, as storage densities increase the optical readout process exhibits nonlinear characteristics that are not reproduced using linear superposition techniques. Alternative approaches, based on curve fitting and optimization routines, are often used to predict more accurately the readout waveform. This paper describes a novel technique for accurately simulating readout waveforms from high-density optical storage media, based on the superposition of isolated pulse responses and nonlinear signal components that arise due to inter-symbol-interference in the readout waveform.
The use of optical super-resolution techniques to improve the performance of conventional far-field readout systems in optical data storage has generated much recent interest. The insertion of amplitude shading bands in the illumination (incident) path and the collection (reflection) path has been investigated by various researchers as a means for reducing inter-symbol and/or cross-track interference. Phase-shifting apodizers have also proved useful in a variety of storage formats. All of these methods modify in some way the optical transfer function of readout head. From this point of view optical super-resolution can be thought of as a form of optical equalization. This opens up the possibility for designing the readout head to incorporate optically some of the equalization/filtering functions that are normally performed electronically. A particularly exciting prospect would be a readout head that generated directly a partial response type readout waveform, without the need for electronic equalization. In this paper we show that this is indeed possible, using simple rectangular shading bands inserted into the collection path to equalize optically to PR(a,b,b,a) type targets.
A read/write model for magneto-optic data storage is described. The model runs under the MATLAB environment on an IBM-type personal computer. Applications of the model in the areas of write compensation, for ensuring regularity in the recorded mark shape and location, and optical equalization on readout are presented.
A novel, differential focus error detection scheme for use in optical recording applications is described. The technique is based on the depth-discrimination property of confocal optical systems. A simple theoretical treatment is used to predict the form of the focus error signal, which is also investigated experimentally using a scanning optical microscope. The focus error response is found to exhibit a more than adequate lock-on range and gain, and is expected to be less sensitive to tracking feedthrough and other forms of cross-talk.
The design and application of scanning probe microscope primarily intended for topographic, magnetic force and magneto-optical investigations of magnetic thin films is described. A microfabricated silicon tip is scanned across the sample of interest, and the tip deflection detected using a modified form of the den Boef twin beam interferometric system. Initial studies of the recorded bit structure in magnetic and magneto-optic storage media, and the magnetic field from a thin film recording head are reported.
A scanning laser microscope (SLM) capable of performing a wide range of in-situ recording tests on magneto-optic storage media is described, and the results of such tests presented.
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