Silicon-based photonics is a leading platform for scalable and low-power photonic integrated circuits (PICs). However, conventional modulation methods suffer from high power consumption and volatility, particularly when using the silicon nitride platform. Phase change materials (PCMs) provide a compelling alternative, enabling nonvolatile and low-loss switching with a high refractive index contrast (∆n). In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the integration of an n-doped polysilicon microheater to induce phase transitions in antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) on a silicon nitride (SiNx) platform in the C-band. The device utilizes controlled electrical pulses to achieve a phase shift of 0.43π by switching Sb2Se3 between its amorphous and crystalline states over 7900 cycles, with an extinction ratio of up to 12.5 dB and a variation of ±1.9 dB over the entire 7900 cycles. These results highlight the potential scalability of this approach for broadband photonic switching applications that require nonvolatile functionality.

Afrooz is currently on nominal registration for her PhD at the University of Southampton, where her research focuses on light modulators. She has published one paper as a primary author and co-authored two additional papers in peer-reviewed journals. Afrooz is presenting her latest work on phase modulation with an antimony-based phase shifter on a silicon nitride platform at this conference.