On-Chip Electric Field Induced Nonlinear Effects in Silicon

A waveguide includes an array of p-i-n junctions formed by ions implanted into the waveguide. The p-i-n junctions concentrate electric fields applied on the waveguide to convert the third order susceptibility χ(3) into the second order susceptibility χ(2) and induce the DC Kerr effect. The periodic electrical fields concentrated by the p-i-n junctions effectively create a wave vector, which together with the wave vectors of optical beams in the waveguide satisfies phase matching conditions for nonlinear optical effects. The phase matching can significantly enhance the efficiency of the nonlinear optical effects, such as second harmonic generation, sum frequency generation, difference frequency generation, and four-wave mixing. Waveguides with arrays of PIN junctions can also be used in phase modulators, amplitude modulators, and filters.