Potentiality of Electro-Optic Modulator Based on the SOI Waveguide

This chapter analyzes quasi-one-dimensional photonic-crystal (Q1DPC) waveguides using three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation on the basis of the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. It is demonstrated that introducing the modulated unit-cell structure opens up new avenues for the practical application of Q1DPC waveguides; the defect mode has the demerit of a low group velocity, while the limited transmission mode (lying near the edge of a narrow transmission band) offers very high group velocity and so suggests the possibility of high-speed signal processing. In addition, it is suggested that the combination of the Si waveguide and the SOI Lubistor promises a high-speed electro-optic modulator that can be fabricated on an SOI substrate. [Reproduced by permission of The Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. and Springer. Y. Ogawa, T. Kinoshita, Y. Omura, and Y. Iida, Photonic band structure and transmission control in quasi-one-dimensional photonic-crystal waveguide with a modulated unit cell structure, Laser Physics, vol. 14, pp. 712-719, 2004.]