Multipurpose self-configuration of programmable photonic circuits

[EN] Programmable integrated photonic circuits have been called upon to lead a new revolution in information systems by teaming up with high speed digital electronics and in this way, adding unique complementary features supported by their ability to provide bandwidthunconstrained analog signal processing. Relying on a common hardware implemented by two-dimensional integrated photonic waveguide meshes, they can provide multiple functionalities by suitable programming of their control signals. Scalability, which is essential for increasing functional complexity and integration density, is currently limited by the need to precisely control and configure several hundreds of variables and simultaneously manage multiple configuration actions. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate two different approaches towards management automation in programmable integrated photonic circuits. These enable the simultaneous handling of circuit self-characterization, auto-routing, self-configuration and optimization. By combining computational optimization and photonics, this work takes an important step towards the realization of high-density and complex integrated programmable photonics.D.P.L. acknowledges funding through the Spanish MINECO Juan de la Cierva program. J.C. acknowledges funding from the ERC Advanced Grant ERC-ADG-2016-741415 UMWP-Chip and ERC-2019-POC-859927. Authors also acknowledge funding from Future MWP technologies and applications PROMETEO/2017/103, Advanced Instrumentation for World Class Microwave Photonics Research IDIFEDER/2018/031, EUIMWP CA16220, Infraestructura para caracterizacion de Chips Fotonicos EQC2018-004683-P.Pérez-López, D.; López-Hernández, A.; Dasmahapatra, P.; Capmany Francoy, J. (2020). Multipurpose self-configuration of programmable photonic circuits. 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