24 January 2017 (Version 1.0) – Cem Bonfil, MarcVerreault
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OptiSPICE applications:
Silicon Depletion-Mode TW Modulator

Introduction (MZM)

Mach Zehnder Modulator (MZM)
Phase shift is achieved from using Pockels Effect,Kerr, or carrier injection/depletion

Short and compact but requires higher voltage/power

Limited modulation speed (10-40 Gb/s)

Building blocks


1 Splitter

1 Joiner

2 Waveguides

OptiSPICE Model

Explicit multilayer filter model is set up with a singlelayer

The change in the refractive index can be controlled
by a voltage sourceCan be configured as push-pull or asymmetric2Introduction (TW Modulator)

Traveling Wave MZMModulation occurs the same way as MZMPhase shift is achieved from using Pockels Effect,Kerr, or carrier injection/depletionLonger device but uses lower voltage/power compared
to regular MZMCan achieve higher modulation speeds (~70 Gbit/s)

Building blocks


1 Splitter

1 Joiner

2 Transmission line electrodes

2 Waveguides

OptiSPICE Model

The waveguide consists of many layers with
controllable refractive indexesEach transmission line corresponds to a different
metal contact connected to one of the waveguides

The waveguides and the transmission line models
have the same length and the same number ofsections



The refractive index of each layer is a function of thevoltage in the corresponding section of thetransmission line3

Si-TWM Model Overview
Modified transmission line model for PN Junction
Sectionalized modulator arms (MLF + TL)
Δn α E in each section (can be nonlinear)Transmission line model

Modified Transmission Line Model*

Single sections connected to asingle layer of a multilayer filter*K. Zhu, V. Saxena and W. Kuang, "Compact Verilog-A modeling of silicon traveling-wave modulator for hybrid CMOS photonic circuitdesign," 2014 IEEE 57th International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS), College Station, TX, 2014, pp. 615-618.

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ParametersTransmission line (model parameters)


100 Sections (Number of sections)Rtl = 2kohm/m

Ctl = 120 pf/m

Ltl = 500 nH/m

RS = 13e-3 ohm*m

CJ = 186 pf/m @(-3V Reverse Bias)d = 2 mm (Modulator length)

Transmission line (calculated parameters)


R0 = re(Z0) = 43 ohm @ 40 Ghz

neff = 3.4@ 40 Ghz

v = 8.8174e+07 m/s @ 40 Ghz

Multilayer filter (model parameters)n = 3.4 (Refractive index)d = 2 mm (Modulator length)

100 ML filter layers (Number of sections)

Multilayer filter (calculated parameters)

v = c/n = 8.8174e+07 m/s

Vpi =1.3 V5

OptiSPICE TWM circuit
Load at the end of the metal contact

Sub-circuit combining all the elements

6Transmission line characteristics* Hao Xu, Xianyao Li, Xi Xiao, Zhiyong Li, Yude Yu and Jinzhong Yu, "Demonstration and Characterization of High-Speed Silicon
Depletion-Mode Mach–Zehnder Modulators," in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 23-32,
July-Aug. 2014.

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Optical eye results
Eye diagram results for traveling wave modulator
simulation (Ref design: TWMZM_Silicon.osch)8

Velocity mismatch simulationIn this simulation the refractive index of thewaveguide was increased to reduce thevelocity of the electric fieldAs the velocity mismatch becomes more
severe the change in the refractive index
and the electric field traveling in thewaveguide do not overlap long enoughThe reduced overlapping time decreases
the total amount of phase shift accumulatedby the traveling electric field, therefore theextinction ratio gets smaller

OptiSPICE simulation showing velocity mismatchin the traveling wave modulator (Ref design:TWMZM_Silicon_VelocityMismatch.osch)9