Three-dimensional electromagnetic field simulations reveal the electric field intensity distribution across the waveguide, as depicted in
Journal of Semiconductors, Volume. 46, Issue 3, 030501(2025)
Broadband PZT electro-optic modulator
Three-dimensional electromagnetic field simulations reveal the electric field intensity distribution across the waveguide, as depicted in
Figure 2.(Color online) Illustration of PZT polarization.
Figure 3.(Color online) Schematic diagram of MZM and EO test results. (a) Schematic diagram of the MZM. (b) Modulation efficiency result (VπL = 1.3 V∙cm). (c) Measured EO bandwidth of 70 GHz. (d) Eye diagram of the PZT MZM, measured using OOK modulation with a peak-to-peak drive voltage of 3 V.
As the demand for computing power in data centers continues to grow, balancing data transmitting speed and energy efficiency has emerged as a critical challenge. High-bandwidth, low-power interconnection schemes are increasingly recognized as core requirements for next-generation intelligent computing center designs[
In conclusion, we successfully demonstrate high-bandwidth, high-efficiency MZM and MRM devices on the PZT optical platform. The devices achieve modulation efficiencies of 1.3 and 0.56 V·cm, with demonstrated OOK modulation rates of 80 and 64 Gb/s, respectively. These results underscore the practical potential of the PZT optical platform for high-speed optical communications, attributed to its high performance and CMOS compatibility, holding promise for advancing next-generation photonic technologies.
Traditionally, the silicon photonics (SiPhs) platform has been valued for its superior complementary metal−oxide−semiconductor (CMOS) integration capability and cost-effectiveness. However, the centro-symmetric crystal structure of silicon lacks a linear electro-optic (EO) response. Additionally, the linearity of plasma dispersion modulation is poor, and it is associated with high optical losses. The parasitic capacitance and resistance of doped pn junctions further degrade the device bandwidth[
Figure 1.(Color online) Electric field distribution of PZT modulators.
Figure 4.(Color online) Schematic diagram of MRM and EO test results. (a) Schematic diagram of the MRM. (b) Modulation efficiency result (VπL = 0.56 V∙cm). (c) Measured EO bandwidth of 53 GHz. (d) Eye diagram of the PZT MRM, measured using OOK modulation with a peak-to-peak drive voltage of 3 V.
[1] D V Plant, M Morsy-Osman, M Chagnon. Optical communication systems for datacenter networks. 2017 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC), 1(2017).
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Peng Wang, Hongyan Yu, Yujun Xie, Jie Peng, Chengyang Zhong, Ang Li, Zehao Guan, Jungan Wang, Chen Yang, Yu Han, Feng Qiu, Ming Li. Broadband PZT electro-optic modulator[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2025, 46(3): 030501
Category: Research Articles
Received: Nov. 18, 2024
Accepted: --
Published Online: Apr. 27, 2025
The Author Email: Feng Qiu (FQiu), Ming Li (MLi)