Back to Search Start Over

Phase-change behavior of RuSbTe thin film for photonic applications with amplitude-only modulation.

Authors :
Hatayama S
Makino K
Saito Y
Source :
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2024 Apr 17; Vol. 14 (1), pp. 8839. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 17.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Ge <subscript>2</subscript> Sb <subscript>2</subscript> Te <subscript>5</subscript> (GST), the most mature phase-change materials (PCM), functions as a recoding layer in nonvolatile memory and optical discs by contrasting the physical properties upon phase transition between amorphous and crystalline phases. However, GST faces challenges such as a large extinction coefficient (k) and low thermal stability of the amorphous phase. In this study, we introduce RuSbTe as a new PCM to address the GST concerns. Notably, the crystallization temperature of the amorphous RuSbTe is approximately 350 °C, significantly higher than GST. A one-order-of-magnitude increase in the resistivity contrast was observed upon phase transition. The crystalline (0.35-0.50 eV) and amorphous (0.26-0.37 eV) phases exhibit relatively small band gap values, resulting in substantial k. Although RuSbTe demonstrates a k difference of approximately 1 upon crystallization at the telecommunications C-band, the refractive index (n) difference is negligible. Unlike GST, which induces both phase retardation and amplitude modulation in its optical switch device, RuSbTe exhibits amplitude-only modulation. This study suggests that RuSbTe has the potential to enable new photonic computing devices that can independently control the phase and amplitude. Combining RuSbTe with phase-only modulators could open avenues for advanced applications.<br /> (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2045-2322
Volume :
14
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Scientific reports
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
38632394
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-59235-9