Silicon photonics for optical interconnects

Integration density, channel scalability, low switching energy and low insertion loss are the major prerequisites for on-chip Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems. A number of device geometries have already been demonstrated that fulfil these criteria, at least in part, but combining all of the requirements is still a difficult challenge. Photonic crystal cavities provide the ultimate confinement of light in space and time, giving the potential to realise devices with the lowest energy consumption and highest integration densities. Here, we demonstrate Photonic Crystal cavity modulators with very low switching energies and high speed Mach Zehnder interferometer modulators and discuss their relative merits.