Compact Differential Phase-Shift Quantum Receiver Assisted by a SOI / BiCMOS Micro-Ring Resonator

We demonstrate a phase-selective and colorless quantum receiver assisted by a silicon-on-insulator microring, enabling a low 1.3% QBER at 5.3kb/s secure-key rate. No penalty incurs compared to a delay interferometer. BiCMOS 3D-integration is proven feasible

Silicon photonic modulators for PAM transmissions

High-speed optical interconnects are crucial for both data centers and high performance computing systems. High power consumption and limited device bandwidth have hindered the move to higher optical transmission speeds. Integrated optical transceivers in silicon photonics (SiP) using pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) are a promising solution to increase data rates. In this paper, we review recent progress in SiP for PAM transmissions. We focus on materials and technologies available CMOS-compatible photonics processes. Performance metrics of SiP modulators and crucial considerations for high-speed PAM transmissions are discussed. Various driving strategies to achieve optical PAM signals are presented. Some of the state-of-the-art SiP PAM modulators and integrated transmitters are reviewed

Electronic Photonic Integrated Circuits and Control Systems

Photonic systems can operate at frequencies several orders of magnitude higher than electronics, whereas electronics offers extremely high density and easily built memories. Integrated photonic-electronic systems promise to combine advantage of both, leading to advantages in accuracy, reconfigurability and energy efficiency. This work concerns of hybrid and monolithic electronic-photonic system design. First, a high resolution voltage supply to control the thermooptic photonic chip for time-bin entanglement is described, in which the electronics system controller can be scaled with more number of power channels and the ability to daisy-chain the devices. Second, a system identification technique embedded with feedback control for wavelength stabilization and control model in silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits is proposed. Using the system, the wavelength in thermooptic device can be stabilized in dynamic environment. Third, the generation of more deterministic photon sources with temporal multiplexing established using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as controller photonic device is demonstrated for the first time. The result shows an enhancement to the single photon output probability without introducing additional multi-photon noise. Fourth, multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) control of a silicon nitride thermooptic photonic circuits incorporating Mach Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) is demonstrated for the first time using a dual proportional integral reference tracking technique. The system exhibits improved performance in term of control accuracy by reducing wavelength peak drift due to internal and external disturbances. Finally, a monolithically integrated complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) nanophotonic segmented transmitter is characterized. With segmented design, the monolithic Mach Zehnder modulator (MZM) shows a low link sensitivity and low insertion loss with driver flexibility

SiGe EAM-based transceivers for datacenter interconnects and radio over fiber

Silicon photonics is a key-enabling technology leveraging decades of effort and infrastructure of the microelectronics CMOS industry resulting in high yield, low cost and potential high volume manufacturing. Furthermore, due to the high index contrast of the platform, very compact, high-complexity photonic integrated circuits can be devised. To benefit from these advantages, high-speed modulators should also be compatible with silicon technology. In this respect, SiGe electro-absorption modulators (EAM) are considered as a promising candidate since they are CMOS-compatible and offer high-speed, compact, low-loss and low-power modulation. In this paper, we discuss SiGe EAM-based transceivers for next-generation datacenter interconnects (DCI) and radio-over-fiber (RoF) fronthaul in next-generation cellular networks

Exploration of Novel Applications for Optical Communications using Silicon Nanophotonics

Silicon photonics is considered to have the potential to enable future communication systems with optical input-outputs to circumvent the shortcomings of electronics. Today silicon is the material of choice for photonic and optoelectronic circuits, mainly due to its excellent material properties, established processing technology, low-cost, compact device footprint, and high-density integration. From sensing and detection to computing and communications, silicon photonics has advanced remarkably in the last couple of decades and found numerous applications. This thesis work focusses on three novel applications of silicon photonics for optical communications. The first application is the design and demonstration of a differential phase shift keying (DPSK) demodulator circuit using a ring resonator. DPSK-based transceivers are being actively considered for short-haul optical communication systems due to their advantages in terms of high extinction ratio, dispersion tolerance, and improved sensitivity. The ring resonator utilizes the concept of coherent perfect absorption and results into a compact demodulator circuit that can be easily integrated into an all-optical system. The next application involves a nonlinear optical process, namely, four wave mixing (FWM) inside a silicon nanowire. For FWM to occur efficiently, phase matching between the real propagation constants of all the frequency components is a key requirement. However, this condition cannot be easily satisfied in integrated optics semiconductor platforms. We propose an altogether new approach to achieve signal gain within the context of non-Hermitian photonics and parity-time (PT) symmetry and show that the phase matching criterion is not necessary to achieve efficient nonlinear interactions. Instead by introducing losses only to the idler components while leaving the pump and signal waves intact, we analyze a coupled-wave system of silicon nanowires using finite difference time domain technique and find that signal gain is indeed possible in such a system, irrespective of the fulfillment of the phase-matching condition. The final application of silicon photonics in this thesis is the engineering of zero group velocity dispersion (GVD) point in the C-band of communication channel. The problem of pulse broadening due to chromatic dispersion is becoming an increasingly important factor for signal degradation. We propose a hybrid silicon/plasmonic waveguide that can change the zero-GVD point by altering the geometry and material of the waveguide components. In addition, such hybrid system also has the potential to transmit both optical and electronic signals along the same circuitry

Microwave Photonic Applications - From Chip Level to System Level

Die Vermischung von Mikrowellen- und optischen Technologien – Mikrowellenphotonik – ist ein neu aufkommendes Feld mit hohem Potential. Durch die Nutzung der Vorzüge beider Welten hat die Mikrowellenphotonik viele Anwendungsfälle und ist gerade erst am Beginn ihrer Erfolgsgeschichte. Der Weg für neue Konzepte, neue Komponenten und neue Anwendungen wird dadurch geebnet, dass ein höherer Grad an Integration sowie neue Technologien wie Silicon Photonics verfügbar sind. In diesem Werk werden zuerst die notwendigen grundlegenden Basiskomponenten – optische Quelle, elektro-optische Wandlung, Übertragungsmedium und opto-elektrische Wandlung – eingeführt. Mithilfe spezifischer Anwendungsbeispiele, die von Chipebene bis hin zur Systemebene reichen, wird der elektrooptische Codesign-Prozess veranschaulicht. Schließlich werden zukünftige Ausrichtungen wie die Unterstützung von elektrischen Trägern im Millimeterwellen- und THz-Bereich sowie Realisierungsoptionen in integrierter Optik und Nanophotonik diskutiert.The hybridization between microwave and optical technologies – microwave photonics – is an emerging field with high potential. Benefitting from the best of both worlds, microwave photonics has many use cases and is just at the beginning of its success story. The availability of a higher degree of integration and new technologies such as silicon photonics paves the way for new concepts, new components and new applications. In this work, first, the necessary basic building blocks – optical source, electro-optical conversion, transmission medium and opto-electrical conversion – are introduced. With the help of specific application examples ranging from chip level to system level, the electro-optical co-design process for microwave photonic systems is illustrated. Finally, future directions such as the support of electrical carriers in the millimeter wave and THz range and realization options in integrated optics and nanophotonics are discussed

Silicon Integrated Arrays: From Microwave to IR

Integrated chips have enabled realization and mass production of complex systems in a small form factor. Through process miniaturization many novel applications in silicon photonics and electronic systems have been enabled. In this thesis I have provided several examples of innovations that are only enabled by integration. I have also demonstrated how electronics and photonics circuits can complement each other to achieve a system with superior performance.</p