Optical modulators are vital for many applications, including telecommunication, data communication, optical computing, and microwave photonic links. A compact modulator with low voltage drive requirement, low power, high speed, and compatibility with CMOS foundry process is highly desirable. Current modulator technologies in Si suffer from trade-offs that constrain their power, performance (speed, drive voltage), and area. The introduction of additional materials to the silicon platform for efficient phase shift promises alternatives to relax those trade-offs. Si-organic-hybrid (SOH) devices demonstrate large modulation bandwidth leveraging the electro-optic (EO) effect and smaller drive voltage or footprint owing to a strong EO coefficient. In this study, we review various SOH modulators and describe their path towards integration to silicon, including their challenges associated with aging and temperature. We also briefly discuss other high-performance modulators such as plasmonic-organic-hybrid (POH), photonic-crystal-assisted SOH, and LiNbO3.

中文翻译：

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硅光子学中的聚合物调制器：回顾和预测

光调制器对许多应用至关重要，包括电信、数据通信、光计算和微波光子链路。非常需要具有低电压驱动要求、低功率、高速和与 CMOS 代工工艺兼容的紧凑型调制器。当前的硅调制器技术受到限制其功率、性能（速度、驱动电压）和面积的权衡取舍。为硅平台引入额外的材料以实现有效的相移，有望提供替代方案来放松这些权衡。硅有机混合 (SOH) 器件利用电光 (EO) 效应表现出较大的调制带宽，并且由于 EO 系数强，驱动电压或占用空间更小。在这项研究中，我们回顾了各种 SOH 调制器并描述了它们向硅集成的路径，包括与老化和温度相关的挑战。我们还简要讨论了其他高性能调制器，例如等离子有机混合 (POH)、光子晶体辅助 SOH 和 LiNbO3.