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All-optical networking can be the sole approach to provide the huge bandwidth required for future networks. The essential elements in such an optical network are optical switches. A number of options have been proposed in order to implement them efficiently. We focus on thermo-optical switches. First, the physical principles of the thermo-optic effect are briefly introduced. A description of the most common technologies used for the fabrication of thermo-optic switches is provided along with the values of thermo-optic coefficient for a number of materials. The main steps useful in order to design thermo-optical switches are also briefly introduced. Finally, a bird's-eye view of the main and recent proposals of switches based on the thermo-optic effect is reported and their performances compared.

In this article, the realization and characterization of a new kind of resonant cavity enhanced photo-detector, fully compatible with silicon microelectronic technologies and working at 1.55 mu m, are reported. The detector is a resonant cavity enhanced structure incorporating a Schottky diode, and its working principle is based on the internal photo-emission effect. A comparison between a Schottky diode (Al/Si or Cu/Si) and the Schottky diode fed on a high-reflectivity Bragg mirror is carried out. Considering Al as Schottky metal, no difference in responsivity is obtained; considering Cu as Schottky metal, a three-fold responsivity improvement is experimentally demonstrated.

In this paper we present a general methodology for the design of resonant cavity enhanced (RCE) photodetectors based on the internal photoemission effect. In order to estimate the theoretical quantum efficiency we take advantage of the analytical formulation of the internal photoemission effect (Fowler theory), and its extension for thin films. In particular, the absorptance is numerically determined by means of an approach based on the transfer matrix method. Finally, we apply the proposed methodology to the design of a silicon RCE photodetector operating at 1.55 microns, based on the internal photoemission effect at an Au-Si schottky barrier.

In this paper, the design of a resonant cavity enhanced photodetector, working at 1.55 mu m and based on silicon technology, is reported. The photon absorption is due to the internal photoemission effect over the Schottky barrier at the metal-silicon interface. The photodetector is composed of a silicon layer in between multiple layers of Si-SiO2, as a bottom mirror, and a thin Au film and dielectric coating, as a top mirror. In order to estimate the quantum efficiency, we take advantage of the analytical formulation of the internal photoemission effect (Fowler theory) and its extension for thin films, while for the optical analysis of the device, used to calculate mirror reflectivities and active layer absorptance, a numerical method based on the transfer matrix method has been implemented. Our numerical results prove a significant enhancement of the efficiency obtained at resonant wavelengths by a very thin absorbing layer.

In this paper we propose the design of a Silicon resonant cavity enhanced Schottky photodetector based on the internal photoemission effect, working at 1.55 mu m, and entirely compatible with ULSI Silicon technology.

Silicon optical receivers, operating at the optical communication wavelengths in the 1.3-1.55 mu m range, have attracted much research effort. Unfortunately, the performance of the devices proposed in literature are poor because this wavelength range is beyond the absorption edge of silicon. In order to extend the maximum detectable wavelength, the most common approach, in the realization of Si-based detectors, is the use of silicon-germanium layers on silicon, anyway, requiring processes non compatible with standard CMOS technology. In this paper, with the aim to extend the operation of silicon-based photo-detectors up to the 1.3-1.55 pm range, an alternative approach is investigated: we propose the design of a resonant cavity enhanced Schottky photodetector based on the internal photoemission effect. The device fabrication is completely compatible with standard silicon technology.