Passive and active tunability of the Silicon Nitride platform

Abstract

This work investigates the passive and active tuning of photonic devices on the silicon nitride platform. The response of passive devices is permanently trimmed by exposure to an ultraviolet laser beam, which locally modifies the refractive index of the material. This can be used either for correcting wavelength shifts caused by fabrication inaccuracies, or for signal routing. The feasibility of this technique was proven by applying it to ring resonators based on nitrogen-rich silicon nitride. Their resonances can be shifted by ultraviolet exposure, and this shift can be controlled by varying parameters such as fluence and exposed area. The stability of these results and the change in the material properties related to this trimming method are also studied. Other applications are proposed with proof of concept. Plasmonic electro-optical modulators are designed to actively tune the response of the silicon nitride devices. The first proposed design is based on the epsilon-near-zero condition of transparent conductive oxides, and in particular Aluminium Zinc Oxide. Optical and electrical simulation results are presented, and its fabrication process is developed. The fabricated devices are then tested optically and electrically. The fabrication process of another modulator based on Indium Tin Oxide, and operating on the same modulation mechanism is also developed.

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ORCID for Frederic Gardes: orcid.org/0000-0003-1400-3272

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