A review of silicon photonics for space applications is presented. The benefits and advantages of size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) metrics inherent to silicon photonics are summarized. Motivation for their use in optical communications systems and microwave photonics is addressed. The current state of our understanding of radiation effects in silicon photonics is included in this discussion. Total-ionizing dose, displacement damage, and single-event transient effects are discussed in detail for germanium-integrated photodiodes, silicon waveguides, and Mach-Zehnder modulators. Areas needing further study are suggested.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.