Importance

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Abstract

External modulators, variable optical attenuators, optical gates, etc. employing Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) are a common structure within photonic integrated circuits and solutions for addressing the ever increasing demands for larger bandwidth and higher capacity in telecommunication and datacom networks. In most applications, but particularly data centers with potentially tens of thousands of optical links where direct board level applications would be preferred with CMOS compatibility, low power consumption is required. Equally, reducing the footprint of optical devices whilst increasing the functional integration on a line card for example does little for power consumption unless the device capacitance and drive voltage can be reduced as well. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide MZIs that require reduced phase shifts to reduce power consumption as the square of reduced applied voltage. Integrated loop mirror Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) provide such a reduction in required phase shift.

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