Absorption density control in waveguide photodiode---analysis, design, and demonstration

Abstract

A modal analysis is conducted for analyzing the absorption profile of high power waveguide photodiodes designed for analog optical link. The excitation of guided modes with large filling factor in the absorber is identified as a limiting factor for the performance of waveguide photodiodes at high optical power, including power handling capability, and bandwidth-efficiency product. A waveguide photodiode design, which spatially separates the input waveguide from the absorber in the lateral direction, is analyzed and experimentally demonstrated to suppress the excitation of mode with large filling factor. Photocurrent>60 mA under -4 V bias is measured, with 0.80 A/W responsivity. This design illustrates that high power handling capability can be achieved without compromising the bandwidth-efficiency product.

Keywords

photodiode / waveguide / thermal failure / high power / mode excitation

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Acknowledgement

The author would like to acknowledge the funding support of ONR-MURI program(N00014-13-1-0678). The author would also like to thank Professor William S. C. Chang for many enlightening discussions on this subject.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg