An Optical modulator based on a hybrid optical waveguide made up of Silicon and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is proposed. The hybrid waveguide is created by the coupling of a leaky optical mode guided in silicon with ITO. The optical modulation is realized with the heterojunction between p-type silicon and n-type ITO. The presence of ITO causes electrical tuning in permittivity and in imaginary-part of the refractive index which provide a way to modulate the intensity of the guide optical mode. The device with Si-ITO heterojunction is fabricated to show intensity modulation at 1.55 μm wavelength. To achieve an efficient optical modulation the carrier concentration of ITO is optimized by depositing ITO on p-type Si wafer at different oxygen partial pressures using Ion assisted electro-beam deposition. The fabricated device exhibiting an extinction ratio of 7 dB for 1.7 mm long device at low voltage of −5 volts.

中文翻译：

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基于Si-ITO异质结的混合波导中的光调制

提出了一种基于由硅和氧化铟锡 (ITO) 组成的混合光波导的光调制器。混合波导是通过在硅中引导的漏光模式与 ITO 的耦合而产生的。光调制是通过 p 型硅和 n 型 ITO 之间的异质结实现的。ITO 的存在导致介电常数和折射率的虚部的电调谐，这提供了一种调制引导光模强度的方法。制造具有 Si-ITO 异质结的器件以在 1.55 μm 波长处显示强度调制。为了实现有效的光学调制，通过使用离子辅助电束沉积在不同氧分压下在 p 型硅晶片上沉积 ITO 来优化 ITO 的载流子浓度。