Lossless optical modulation in a silicon waveguide using stimulated Raman scattering

In this paper we describe a new modulation scheme using stimulated Raman scattering in conjunction with a reverse biased p-i-n diode embedded in a silicon waveguide. We show optical modulation of a weak probe beam by modulating the reverse bias voltage of the silicon waveguide excited by a strong pump beam. The probe beam modulation is due to the two-photon absorption-induced carrier density modulation in the waveguide. By tuning the probe wavelength to the Stokes wavelength, we demonstrate for the first time a lossless optical modulator in silicon with modulation speeds up to 80-MHz. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America.