Silicon photonics

Ferroelectric domain switching controlled by electrical pulses provides a controllable means to tune the refractive index of BaTiO₃ thin films. Now, a device based on this material is presented that is capable of implementing low-power, high-speed and CMOS-compatible programmable phase shifters in silicon photonic chips.

Light travels through disordered media on a random path that is hard to control. A comprehensive study has now shown that optical energy can be deposited at a desired depth in a disordered waveguide by injecting a light field with a particular shape.

The introduction of piezo-optomechanical phase shifters into silicon optical chips enables the realization of complex, controllable optical processing circuits with negligible static power dissipation, high-speed configuration and compatibility with wafer-scale fabrication.

The demonstration of a germanium-based photodiode with a 3 dB bandwidth of 265 GHz and compatibility with silicon photonics and CMOS fabrication offers a cost-effective route to faster channel data rates for optical communications.

Optical acoustic sensors have gained interest for use in photoacoustic imaging systems, but can they dethrone conventional piezoelectric sensors altogether?