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Response shaping with a silicon ring resonator via double injection

Abstract

Modern systems often provide complex functionality that can be realized by tailoring together elements of simpler functionality. Multiplicity of simple optical functions (response shapes), when densely fabricated on a chip, can promote the concept of a field-programmable optical array. Shaping of the frequency response, or otherwise an electrical-to-optical response, is studied and demonstrated by means of a racetrack-shaped ring resonator designed and fabricated in the so-called double injection configuration. This configuration possesses a unique property that allows two free spectral range states (regular, 2 × regular) to exist for a single ring length. Shaping is realized by properly selecting different coupling coefficients that provide a variety of interesting responses. Here, we demonstrate various shapes including: sinusoidal, triangular (linear), square (bandpass), dips and peaks (two states), spikes (tangent-like), interleaver and a so-called 20dB-min parameters-insensitive-response modulator. The transmission responses were experimentally realized, fabricated in a silicon-on-insulator platform and characterized at wavelengths around 1,550 nm.

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Fig. 1: Illustration of a passive optical device based on the DI configuration.
Fig. 2: Response shapes obtained by a DI resonator.
Fig. 3: Parameters-insensitive device (PIR20) of Fig. 2j compared to a MZI.
Fig. 4: SEM images of optical circuits comprising the DI resonator and waveguide cross-section of a coupler’s parallel section.
Fig. 5: Spectral responses (Et1) of optical circuits comprising the DI resonator.

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The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

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Authors

Contributions

R.A.C. conceived the idea and simulated the optical and electro-optical circuits, fabricated the devices as well as designed and performed the experiments and also analysed the results and wrote the manuscript. O.A. and S.R. conceived the idea, analysed the results, contributed to manuscript preparation and supervised the study.

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Correspondence to Roei Aviram Cohen or Ofer Amrani.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cohen, R.A., Amrani, O. & Ruschin, S. Response shaping with a silicon ring resonator via double injection. Nature Photon 12, 706–712 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-018-0275-4

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