Free-carrier electro-absorption and electro-refraction modulation in group IV materials at mid-infrared wavelengths

Mid-infrared group IV photonics is emerging as a field with possible applications ranging from gas sensing to free-space communications. Free-carrier induced electro-absorption and electro-refraction have become the most widely used modulation mechanisms in active near-infrared silicon photonic devices. This work examines the magnitude of this effect in group IV materials at mid-infrared wavelengths. In silicon electro-absorption effects are calculated from experimental absorption coefficient data, and electro-refraction is calculated through numerical Kramers-Kronig analysis of absorption spectra. In germanium the Drude-Lorentz equations are used to estimate both change in absorption and change in refractive index.