Amorphous silicon waveguide escalator: monolithic integration of active components on 3-um SOI platform

VTT’s 3 μm SOI platform with record low propagation loss (0.1 dB/cm for fundamental mode), as well as polarization insensitivity, offers a rich portfolio of efficient passive and active components. With a view to extend the component toolbox by monolithically integrating high-speed plasmonic modulators, we have developed an a-Si:H based waveguide escalator to take out light from highly confined thick-SOI passives to the top layer where active materials are monolithically integrated. Using the compact escalator, monolithic integration of various high-speed active components on the 3 μm SOI platform are proposed.