We investigate the electro-optic properties of black phosphorus (BP) thin films for optical modulation in the mid-infrared frequencies. Our calculation indicates that an applied out-of-plane electric field may lead to red-, blue-, or bidirectional shift in BP's absorption edge. This is due to the interplay between the field-induced quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh effect and the Pauli-blocked Burstein-Moss shift. The relative contribution of the two electro-absorption mechanisms depends on doping range, operating wavelength, and BP film thickness. For proof-of concept, simple modulator configuration with BP overlaid over a silicon nanowire is studied. Simulation result shows that operating BP in the quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh regime can enable improved maximal attainable absorption as well as power efficiency compared to its graphene counterpart.
@article{arxiv.1511.03348,
title = {Multilayer black phosphorus as a versatile mid-infrared electro-optic material},
author = {Charles Lin and Roberto Grassi and Tony Low and Amr S. Helmy},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1511.03348},
year = {2016}
}