Integrated Rare Earth Lasers for Silicon Photonics

用于硅光子学的集成稀土激光器

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06423
• 负责人: Bradley, Jonathan
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: McMaster University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=752913
• 关键词: Integrated; Rare; Earth; Lasers; Silicon

Lasers and photonic devices have influenced our lives in many critical ways, including enabling the high speed lightwave signals that fuel the internet. Now, after decades of research, so-called “silicon photonics” is poised to significantly advance internet and data communication through decreased cost and increased performance and scalability. Silicon photonics (SiP) leverages the existing multi-billion-dollar microelectronics fabrication infrastructure to provide highly compact, inexpensive, and energy-efficient integrated optoelectronic microsystems. As a result of its growing application in high-speed optoelectronic data networks, the SiP market is expected to increase to several $B in the next decade. Further, SiP promises to be ubiquitous in sensing, imaging, ranging, medical, and advanced military and space applications. Nevertheless, one of the key missing elements in SiP systems remains a monolithic laser. Silicon and SiP-compatible materials (i.e. those which can be monolithically integrated on silicon chips such as silicon nitride and germanium) provide many of the required functions in optoelectronic circuits, including signal transmission, switching, modulation, filtering, multiplexing, and detection. However, it has long been recognized that silicon is an inefficient light emitter. Currently SiP microsystems rely on off-chip lasers or bonding costly materials to silicon to deliver light. An efficient on-chip, monolithic, and scalable light source will have an enormous impact on future applications of SiP. In this research project we will develop new light-emitting rare-earth-doped photonic materials and the first fully-integrated rare earth lasers for silicon photonics. Advantages of SiP rare earth lasers, in addition to their low cost and monolithic fabrication, include their high powers, compact size, temperature insensitivity, high stability, and wide range of emission wavelengths and wavelength tunability in important communications and sensing windows. By integrating lasers based on these low-cost materials into wafer-scale silicon processes we will increase their scalability and open entirely new functions of SiP microsystems that are currently performed using more expensive or bulky optical platforms. This research will lead to specialized training of highly qualified people (HQP), have a significant impact on the growing SiP industry and information technology, and enhance overall high-tech expertise in Canada. By developing the lasers in Canada, we will continue Canada's leadership in advanced communications and photonics technologies. We will implement the methods and devices in advanced SiP microsystems for communications, sensing, and emerging applications to meet the growing information and technology needs of society.

激光和光子器件在许多关键方面影响着我们的生活，包括为互联网提供高速光波信号。现在，经过数十年的研究，所谓的“硅光子学”有望通过减少数据传输来显着推进互联网和数据通信。硅光子学 (SiP) 利用现有的价值数十亿美元的微电子制造基础设施来提供高度紧凑、廉价且节能的集成光电微系统。随着其在高速光电数据网络中的应用不断增长，SiP 市场预计在未来十年将增加到数十亿美元。此外，SiP 有望在传感、成像、测距、医疗以及先进的军事和空间应用中无处不在。然而，SiP 系统中缺少的关键要素之一仍然是单片激光器和 SiP 兼容材料（即可以单片集成在硅芯片上的材料，例如氮化硅和锗）。光电电路中所需的功能，包括信号传输、开关、调制、滤波、复用和检测，然而，人们早已认识到硅是一种低效的光发射器。目前，SiP 微系统依靠片外激光器或粘合昂贵的材料来实现。高效的片上、单片和可扩展光源将对 SiP 的未来应用产生巨大影响。在这个研究项目中，我们将开发新的发光器件。稀土掺杂光子材料和首款用于硅光子学的全集成稀土激光器 除了低成本和单片制造之外，SiP 稀土激光器的优点还包括高功率、紧凑尺寸、温度不敏感、高稳定性。通过将基于这些低成本材料的激光器集成到晶圆级硅工艺中，我们将提高其可扩展性并完全开放。 SiP 微系统的新功能目前使用更昂贵或笨重的光学平台来执行，这项研究将导致对高素质人才 (HQP) 的专门培训，对不断发展的 SiP 行业和信息技术产生重大影响，并提高整体高素质。通过在加拿大开发激光器，我们将继续加拿大在先进通信和光子技术方面的领先地位，我们将在先进的 SiP 微系统中实施用于通信、传感和新兴应用的方法和设备，以满足不断增长的信息和技术的需求。社会的需要。