慢光调制器的研究进展

    Research progress of slow-light modulators

    • 摘要: 电光调制器是高速光互连与信息处理系统的核心器件,但其传统结构长期受限于调制效率、光学带宽与传输损耗之间难以兼顾的性能平衡。慢光效应通过降低光群速度,可有效增强调制区域内的光与物质相互作用,在保持器件紧凑尺寸的同时提高调制效率并降低半波电压。介绍了慢光调制器的物理机制并系统综述了其发展历程,重点讨论了基于光子晶体波导、硅-有机混合结构、级联光栅及耦合谐振光波导的典型器件,分别分析了其优势与局限。进一步地,引入拓扑光子学,详细阐述了一维Su-Schrieffer-Heeger模型与二维谷光子晶体实现拓扑慢光调制器的前沿进展,重点讨论了拓扑边界态在提高调制器鲁棒性、抑制背向散射、支持超低功耗与100 GHz以上电光带宽方面的潜力。最后,展望了准晶结构、高阶拓扑态与人工智能协同设计等未来方向,指出拓扑慢光调制器有望彻底打破传统性能平衡,推动面向超算、人工智能与量子信息网络的新一代光互连技术。

       

      Abstract: Electro-optic modulators are core components of high-speed optical interconnections and information processing systems. However, conventional structures have long been constrained by the difficult balance among modulation efficiency, optical bandwidth and propagation loss. By reducing the optical group velocity, the slow-light effect can effectively enhance light-matter interaction within the modulation region, improving modulation efficiency and lowering half-wave voltage while maintaining a compact device footprint. The physical mechanisms and development of slow-light modulators are systematically reviewed, with particular emphasis on representative devices based on photonic crystal waveguides, silicon-organic hybrid structures, cascaded gratings and coupled resonator optical waveguides. Their respective advantages and limitations are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, this paper introduces topological photonics and elaborates on the recent advances of topological slow-light modulators realized via the one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model and two-dimensional valley photonic crystals. Particular attention is given to the significant potential of topological boundary states to enhance modulator robustness, suppress backscattering, enable the ultra-low power consumption and achieve electro-optic bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz. Finally, future research directions including quasicrystal structures, higher-order topological states and artificial intelligence-assisted design are discussed. Topological slow-light modulators are expected to fundamentally overcome the conventional performance trade-offs and advance next-generation optical interconnection technologies for supercomputing, artificial intelligence and quantum information networks.

       

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