Thermo-Optic Modeling for Greater Data Handling Capabilities

Phase change materials (PCM) serve an important role in the advancement of computing, as they enable computers to have greater data handling capacity, faster processing times, and decreased energy consumption. PCM’s like germanium telluride (GeTe) function in tandem with microheaters to change from an amorphous state to varying levels of crystallinity. Thus, it is through controlled phase changes that one can manipulate the transmittance of light and get different states of memory. Therefore, the objective of this research activity is to model microheaters and photonic devices, and subsequently implement a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) to vary the intensity of light. For this project, a well-known PCM, such as GeTe sputtered on a thin film of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), will be modeled. COMSOL will be used to find the temperature distribution induced by the ITO microheaters in the PCM. Next, Lumerical FDTD will be used to model the MZI and the effects of different phases of the PCM on the device’s operation. With the exploratory nature of this research project, expected outcomes are to find suitable power input parameters, specific levels of crystallinity, and varying levels of output intensity.