[Modelling BER in ultrafast optical interconnects based on Silicon Photonic Nanowires]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Abstract

We demonstrate a scalable, energy-efficient, and pragmatic method for high-bandwidth wavelength multicasting using FWM in silicon photonic nanowires. We experimentally validate up to a sixteen-way multicast of 40-Gb/s NRZ data using spectral and temporal responses, and evaluate the resulting data integrity degradation using BER measurements and power penalty performance metrics. We further examine the impact of this wavelength multicasting scalability on conversion efficiency. Finally, we experimentally evaluate up to a three-way multicast of 160-Gb/s pulsedRZ data using spectral and temporal responses, representing the first onchip wavelength multicasting of pulsed-RZ data.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY6

INTRODUCTION AND PROBELM STATEMENT7

Introduction7

Problem Statement9

LITERATURE REVIEW AND BACKGROUND10

Background of the Study11

Wavelength conversion and wavelength multicasting12

Light Matter Interaction in Silicon Photonic wires14

Dispersion Engineering in Silicon Photonic Wires16

Theory19

Nonlinear absorption characterization20

Silica-glass photonic nanowires22

Super continuum generation23

Pulse compression24

RESULTS26

(a) Methodology26

Coupled Amplitude Equations26

Nonlinear differential equations of the model29

(b) Analysis of Results34

Silicon electro-optic modulators34

Model Validation37

Experimental setup40

Analysis of pulse propagation in MOFs47

Geometric Dependence of Nonlinear Parameters50

CONCLUSION56

REFERENCES58

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Silicon (Si)-based light sources compatible with mainstream CMOS technology are highly desirable because of their low manufacturing cost relative to III/V semiconductors and because they will enable monolithic integration with electronic components on the same Si platform. In this paper, we describe optical devices based on materials that can share fabrication tools with Si-CMOS processing without a risk of contamination and have promising optical properties. We studied light-emitting Si-rich Si nitride (SRN), Si nanocrystals (Si-NCs) embedded in silicon dioxide, and erbium-doped amorphous Si nitride (Er:SiNx ) systems. Both Si-NCs in SiO2 and silicon nitride are well studied and show photoluminescence (PL) with wavelengths from 500 to 1000 nm. In these samples, the emission is enhanced relative to the emission from bulk Si because of electron-hole localization effects due to either quantum con?nement or trapping to surface states. In addition, signi?cant work has been conducted to study electrical injection of the Si-NCs in both oxide and nitride systems. We also explore a material system with Er in amorphous silicon nitride, which emits at the telecom wavelength of 1530 nm, ideally suited for on-chip Si photonics applications.

INTRODUCTION AND PROBELM STATEMENT

Introduction

In 1985, Richard Soref and others proposed that single-crystal silicon could be used as an optical waveguide material. Inspired by silicon's tranparency at the telecommunication wavelengths, 1300 and 1550 nm, they believed that silicon could be used to add optical functionality to microelectronics applications. Their seminal papers calculated that crystalline silicon could guide light on a chip with losses less than 0.01 dB/cm for lightly doped wafers. In addition, the guided light could also be switched ...