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Toward Accurate Thermal Modeling of Phase Change Material Based Photonic DevicesReconfigurable or programmable photonic devices are rapidly growing and have become an integral part of many optical systems. The ability to selectively modulate electromagnetic waves through electrical stimuli is crucial in the advancement of a variety of applications from data communication and computing devices to environmental science and space explorations. Chalcogenide-based phase change materials (PCMs) are one of the most promising material candidates for reconfigurable photonics due to their large optical contrast between their different solid-state structural phases. Although significant efforts have been devoted to accurate simulation of PCM-based devices, in this paper, we highlight three important aspects which have often evaded prior models yet having significant impacts on the thermal and phase transition behavior of these devices: the enthalpy of fusion, the heat capacity change upon glass transition, as well as the thermal conductivity of liquid-phase PCMs. We further investigated the important topic of switching energy scaling in PCM devices, which also helps explain why the three above-mentioned effects have long been overlooked in electronic PCM memories but only become important in photonics. Our findings offer insight to facilitate accurate modeling of PCM-based photonic devices and can inform the development of more efficient reconfigurable optics.
Document ID
20230004205
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Accepted Manuscript (Version with final changes)
Authors
Kiumars Aryana ORCID
(Oak Ridge Associated Universities Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States)
Hyun Jung Kim
(Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia, United States)
Cosmin-Constantin Popescu
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States)
Steven Vitale
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States)
Hyung Bin Bae
(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, South Korea)
Taewoo Lee
(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Daejeon, South Korea)
Tian Gu
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States)
Jeujun Hu
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States)
Date Acquired
March 30, 2023
Publication Date
December 31, 2023
Publication Information
Publication: Small
Publisher: Wiley
Volume: 19
Issue: 50
Issue Publication Date: December 13, 2023
ISSN: 1613-6810
e-ISSN: 1613-6829
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 981698.01.02.23.37
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF 2132929
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
Technical Review
NASA Technical Management
Keywords
Phase change materials
Amorphization
Temperature
Thermal conductivity
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