PLAT4M: Progressing Silicon Photonics in Europe

Abstract

Photonic integration is an appealing technology for emerging applications in communications, medical diagnostics and sensing. Silicon Photonics presents a highly attractive solution for large-scale photonic integration, principally because it is based on well-established CMOS-fabrication technologies. However, Silicon photonics can be difficult and expensive to implement, as it requires complex device design, fabrication and packaging capabilities. Photonic Libraries And Technology for Manufacturing (PLAT4M) is a major European project that brings together the key capabilities required to develop solutions for a range of Silicon photonic-based applications. This paper will present an overview of the PLAT4M project. It will present, in detail, a key application demonstrator (Coherent Beam Combiner), highlighting the ability of the project team to develop an integrated Silicon Photonic sub-system, from design, through to device fabrication, packaging and final test. The paper also highlights the need to consider additional capabilities besides device fabrication, such as packaging, which are critical to achieving fully operational sub-systems.

Photonic Integrated Circuit-Based FMCW Coherent LiDAR

“…The left hand part of the figure then shows a cross-section of this central zone, where two P-doped, 1.2 m wide silicon stripes are interleaved between the three waveguides. To avoid additional propagation loss, the spacing between the waveguide and the heaters is 2 microns, to be compared to 600 nm for deep etched waveguides [15]. The thermal phase shifters were therefore less efficient, with 40 mW of electrical power required for a 2π phase shift, against 20 mW for their deep etched counterparts.…”

Free space optical communication receiver based on a spatial demultiplexer and a photonic integrated coherent combining circuit

“…Therein, photonic integrated circuits (PIC) exhibit attractive features for achieving the coherent combination of the multiple outputs of the receiver. PICs provide both optical and electronic functions with ultimate small footprint, and a remarkable thermal and mechanical stability [10][11]. The photonic integrated platform is also perfectly suited to scale to a high number of inputs.…”

Infrared vertically-illuminated photodiode for chip alignment feedback

“…1(a), and to align the components by minimizing the total insertion loss (loop-back configuration). 14,15 This approach however does not instantaneously provide the direction in which the components need to be moved for achieving optimal coupling, requires two sacrificial external waveguides (in the OBC or in the fiber bundle) for each shunt waveguide, and differential read-out is not possible. In this scheme, moreover, the required initial alignment tolerances are dictated by the field-of-view of the grating couplers, and external power monitors need to be aligned prior to the start of the positioning process.…”