Graphene microheater for phase change chalcogenides based integrated photonic components [Invited]

In order to effectively control the state of an active integrated photonic component based on chalcogenide phase change materials, an efficient microheater operating at low voltage is required. Here, we report on the design of a graphene based microheater. The proposed system contains two separate graphene layers between which the phase change material cell of Ge2Sb2Te5 is placed. Three distinct switching possibilities are explored, using only the bottom layer, only the top layer or both graphene layers. A detailed investigation of the heater parameters is performed to optimise switching performance. A self-consistent multiphysics simulation of the crystallization process in the phase change material cell is conducted demonstrating the switching capabilities of the proposed design. Published by Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Automated summary

In order to effectively control the state of an active integrated photonic component based on chalcogenide phase change materials, a low voltage efficient microheater is required. A graphene-based microheater is designed and a detailed investigation of the heater parameters is conducted to optimize the switching performance. The switching capabilities of the proposed design are demonstrated through self-consistent multiphysics simulation.