• 文献标题:   Ultra-low-energy programmable non-volatile silicon photonics based on phase-change materials with graphene heaters
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   FANG ZR, CHEN R, ZHENG JJ, KHAN AI, NEILSON KM, GEIGER SJ, CALLAHAN DM, MOEBIUS MG, SAXENA A, CHEN ME, RIOS C, HU JJ, POP E, MAJUMDAR A
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • ISSN:   1748-3387 EI 1748-3395
  • 通讯作者地址:  
  • 被引频次:   21
  • DOI:   10.1038/s41565-022-01153-w EA JUL 2022
  • 出版年:   2022

▎ 摘  要

Silicon photonics is evolving from laboratory research to real-world applications with the potential to transform many technologies, including optical neural networks and quantum information processing. A key element for these applications is a reconfigurable switch operating at ultra-low programming energy-a challenging proposition for traditional thermo-optic or free carrier switches. Recent advances in non-volatile programmable silicon photonics based on phase-change materials (PCMs) provide an attractive solution to energy-efficient photonic switches with zero static power, but the programming energy density remains high (hundreds of attojoules per cubic nanometre). Here we demonstrate a non-volatile electrically reconfigurable silicon photonic platform leveraging a monolayer graphene heater with high energy efficiency and endurance. In particular, we show a broadband switch based on the technologically mature PCM Ge2Sb2Te5 and a phase shifter employing the emerging low-loss PCM Sb2Se3. The graphene-assisted photonic switches exhibited an endurance of over 1,000 cycles and a programming energy density of 8.7 +/- 1.4 aJ nm(-3), that is, within an order of magnitude of the PCM thermodynamic switching energy limit (similar to 1.2 aJ nm(-3)) and at least a 20-fold reduction in switching energy compared with the state of the art. Our work shows that graphene is a reliable and energy-efficient heater compatible with dielectric platforms, including Si3N4, for technologically relevant non-volatile programmable silicon photonics.