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Optical Interconnect Technologies based on Silicon Photonics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2011

Wim Bogaerts ,
Philippe Absil ,
Dries Van Thourhout ,
Joris Van Campenhout ,
Shankar Kumar Selvaraja ,
Pieter Dumon ,
Hui Yu ,
Adil Masood ,
Gunther Roelkens  and
Roel Baets
Wim Bogaerts
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Philippe Absil
Affiliation:
imec Belgium, Kapeldreef 75 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Dries Van Thourhout
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Joris Van Campenhout
Affiliation:
imec Belgium, Kapeldreef 75 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Shankar Kumar Selvaraja
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Pieter Dumon
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Hui Yu
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Adil Masood
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Gunther Roelkens
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
Roel Baets
Affiliation:
Ghent University – imec, Department of Information Technology, Photonics Research Group, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41 9000 Gent, Belgium
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Abstract

We discuss the principles of Optical interconnects, and discuss the potential of silicon photonics to provide all the necessary building blocks to construct dense, high-bandwidth, lowpower optical links. We discuss waveguides, wavelength division multiplexing, modulators and photodetectors. We also take a look at the options for implementing light sources, a function which silicon cannot natively provide, with a focus on implementations in the IMEC silicon photonics platform.

Keywords

opticalSiIII-V

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References

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