On-chip photonic memory elements employing phase-change materials.

Rios, Carlos; Hosseini, Peiman; Wright, C David; Bhaskaran, Harish; Pernice, Wolfram H P · Adv Mater · 2014

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Phase-change materials integrated into nanophotonic circuits provide a flexible way to realize tunable optical components. Relying on the enormous refractive-index contrast between the amorphous and crystalline states, such materials are promising candidates for on-chip photonic memories. Nonvolatile memory operation employing arrays of microring resonators is demonstrated as a route toward all-photonic chipscale information processing.