G. Cocorullo et al., Fast infrared light modulation in a-Si : H micro-devices for fiber-to-the-home applications, J NON-CRYST, 266, 2000, pp. 1247-1251
We have produced and measured the properties of a fast switching micro-opti
c device in a rib-like configuration working at the 1.3 and 1.55 mu m fiber
communication wavelengths for fiber-to-the-home applications. The core gui
ding layer is made of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) dep
osited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) with absorptio
n coefficients sufficiently small at the wavelength of interest. The signal
modulation is performed exploiting the thermo-optic effect of thin film a-
Si:H in a Fabry-Perot waveguide integrated interferometer. Switching times
<10 mu s have been obtained with two different types of cladding layer. (C)
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