In today's rapid development of information technology, there is an increasing demand for data transmission speed and processing power. Silicon-based photonics, as a cross-discipline integrating optics, electronics and materials science, is gradually becoming a key force driving the innovation of information technology. In this paper, we will discuss the latest research progress in silicon-based photonics and the challenges it faces.
By taking advantage of the high refractive index of silicon materials and the compatibility of CMOS processes, silicon-based photonic integrated chip technology has made remarkable progress in realizing large-scale integration of photonic and electronic devices. This not only helps to increase the speed and capacity of information transmission and processing, but also brings transformative breakthroughs in areas such as next-generation data centers, communication systems, and high-performance computing.
Silicon material itself does not emit light, but researchers have successfully provided a light source for silicon-based optoelectronic integrated chips by pumping integrated microcavity optical frequency combs through semiconductor lasers, a breakthrough that solves a long-standing problem in silicon-based optoelectronic systems.
With the development of silicon-based semiconductor process, silicon-based photonic modulator gradually become mainstream photonic devices. The realization of gigahertz bandwidth modulators based on silicon process technology has laid a solid foundation for the development of silicon photonics.
In the field of sensors, silicon-based photonic technology shows great potential, especially in the application of multi-channel sensing and LIDAR technology, which provides a new technological pathway for the development of the Internet of Things and automated driving and other fields.
The fabrication process of optoelectronic devices is not fully compatible with the microelectronic CMOS process, which leads to higher fabrication cost and complexity, and further research is needed to realize a more efficient production process.
Packaging technologies for optical and electrical interfaces of silicon-based photonic chips are still challenging, and new packaging technologies need to be developed to meet the increasing performance demands.
The application of quantum information systems needs to rely on the construction of integrable quantum systems, and the integration of quantum light sources and single-photon detection technologies is the key to realizing quantum information processing.
Although silicon-based photonics is starting to become an important industry, more progress is needed in areas such as cost control and high-efficiency optically coupled packaging in order to realize large-scale production and applications.
Future directions for silicon-based photonics include, but are not limited to, the improvement of Fano resonance parameters, the enhancement of the robustness of Fano resonance structures, the extension of the band range of resonance spectra, the improvement of multiplexing capabilities, and the realization of full-wavelength Fano resonance spectra. These researches will not only promote the performance improvement of silicon-based photonic devices, but also lay a solid foundation for practical applications.
With the continuous progress of technology and the gradual overcoming of challenges, silicon-based photonics is expected to become the core of future optoelectronics technology, providing strong support for high-speed, high-efficiency and low-cost optoelectronic information systems.
