This technology is an ultra-compact integrated optical phase shifter that enables low-loss, low-power and high-speed phase modulation for optical communications and computing applications.
\r\rIntegrated photonic systems require efficient phase shifters to enable high-speed optical communication and computing applications. However, existing phase modulation technologies face tradeoff between device size, optical loss, power consumption, and operating speed, limiting their scalability for dense photonic integration. Current solutions often require large device footprints or high operating power, making integration with compact silicon-based platforms challenging. There is a need for ultra-compact phase shifters that provide low-loss, low-power, and high-speed modulation without compromising device performance.
\r\rThis technology is an ultra-compact optical phase shifter that integrates 2D materials, including transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and graphene, with a silicon nitride micro ring resonator. A voltage across the capacitor modulates both the index, via the electro-refractive response of the TMD, and the loss, via the electro-absorptive response of graphene, shifting the waveguide-ring coupling from under-coupled to over-coupled. The result is a strong, nearly pure phase shift with minimal amplitude modulation, in a footprint far smaller than conventional modulators and with nanowatt DC power. The platform also extends to other electro-optic materials, including TMDs such as MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and MoTe2, silicon, indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), and plasmonic materials.\rThe technology has been experimentally validated, demonstrating high-speed phase modulation with 15 GHz electro-optic bandwidth, low insertion loss, and negligible amplitude modulation during binary phase-shift keying.
\r\rPatent Pending (US20230296956)
\r\rIR CU21328
Licensing Contact: [Greg Maskel] (mailto:techtransfer@columbia.edu)