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Engineers Control Laser Light to Advance Silicon Technology |
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 Photo by Jennie Trower Click on photo for hi-res version. |
Electrical engineer Ray Chen and graduate student Lanlan Gu in front of equipment used to test the power consumption and blinking rate of the world's smallest silicon modulator, which Chen's laboratory engineered. The computer monitor to the left of Dr. Chen shows a magnified view of the probes (black arrows) resting on metal pads (white), that are used to test the laser light (invisible), which travels between the two probes. |
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Chen adjusts settings before testing the silicon modulator, which is on the microscope stage at right, below the lens of the microscope (black cylinder).
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 Photo by Jennie Trower Click on photo for hi-res version |
A close-up of the two voltage probes (angled wires) contacting the surface of the green silicon chip with the photonic crystals where laser light's transmission is slowed in order to modulate it.
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