Fast infrared light modulation in a-Si:H micro-devices for fiber-to-the-home applications

Abstract We have produced and measured the properties of a fast switching micro-optic device in a rib-like configuration working at the 1.3 and 1.55 μm fiber communication wavelengths for fiber-to-the-home applications. The core guiding layer is made of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) with absorption 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