High-Performance Pockels Effect Modulation and Switching in Silicon-Based GaP/Si, AlP/Si, ZnS/Si, AlN/3C-SiC, GaAs/Ge, ZnSe/GaAs, and ZnSe/Ge Superlattice-On-Insulator Integrated Circuits

We propose new a Si-based waveguided Superlattice-on-Insulator (SLOI) platforms for high-performance electro-optical (EO) 2 x 2 and N x M switching and 1 x 1 modulation, including broad spectrum and resonant. We present a theoretical investigation based on the tight-binding Hamiltonian of the Pockels EO effect in the lattice-matched undoped (GaP)(N)/(Si-2)(M), (AlP)(N)/(Si-2)(M), (ZnS)(N)/(Si-2)(M), (AlN)(N)/(3C-SiC)(M), (GaAs)(N)/(Ge-2)(M), (ZnSe)(N)/(GaAs)(M)(,) and (ZnSe)(N)(/)(Ge-2)(M) wafer-scale short-period superlattices that are etched into waveguided networks of small-footprint Mach-Zehnder interferometers and micro-ring resonators to yield opto-electronic chips. The spectra of the Pockels r(33) coefficient have been simulated as a function of the number of the atomic monolayers for "non-relaxed" heterointerfaces. The large obtained r(33) values enable the SLOI circuit platforms to offer a very favorable combination of monolithic construction, cost-effective manufacturability, high modulation/switching speed, high information bandwidth, tiny footprint, low energy per bit, low switching voltage, near-IR-and-telecom wavelength coverage, and push-pull operation. By optimizing waveguide, clad, and electrode dimensions, we obtained very desirable values of the V pi L performance metric, in the range of 0.062 to 0.275 V.cm, portending a bright future for a variety of applications, such as sensor networks or Internet of Things (IoT).