Microresonator Frequency Combs as Coherent Transceiver Sources for Multi-Tb/s Optical Communications

微谐振器频率梳作为多 Tb/s 光通信的相干收发器源

• 批准号: 1509578
• 负责人: Andrew Weiner
• 金额: $ 35万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-01 至 2018-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1509578&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Microresonator; Frequency; Combs; Coherent; Transceiver

Title:Microresonator Optical Frequency Combs as Coherent Transceiver Sources for Ultrahigh Speed Lightwave CommunicationsGeneral, nontechnical description:Fiber optics is the key transmission technology for high-speed internet and as such has a tremendous impact on society. This proposal seeks to replace large arrays of lasers commonly used to provide multiple data channels in fiber systems with a single nanophotonic device known as an optical microresonator. Under appropriate conditions the microresonator can generate a multiplicity of precisely evenly spaced optical frequencies termed a frequency comb. Each of the frequencies can be used to carry independent data channels over the optical fiber, much as different radio frequencies are used to carry different channels in radio transmission. By replacing the large array of lasers, the proposed microresonator-based light source can potentially reduce cost and complexity, while opening up new opportunities based on the precision of the frequency grid generated. Advances in this novel light source may also help move a variety of other applications out of the laboratory, including high precision time transfer for advanced navigation, environmental sensing, and precision radar. This research project will support two graduate students and should provide outstanding opportunities for broad training in areas of cutting-edge technology. An international collaboration with an advanced optical communications laboratory in Sweden is proposed in order to characterize the performance of the developed devices for state-of-the-art lightwave communications. The proposed collaboration should enhance student training by providing them with opportunity for international collaboration, both in hosting visiting researchers at Purdue and in gaining experience in an advanced communications laboratory abroad.Technical descriptionOptical frequency combs, in which a multiplicity of equally spaced optical frequencies is generated via nonlinear wave mixing in high quality factor microresonators excited by a single frequency laser, are the subject of intense research. This proposal seeks to advance the state-of-the-art in microresonator frequency combs, or simply "micro-combs," in directions relevant to their application in coherent multiwavelength optical communications supporting transmission rates of Tb/s (1012 bit/s) and above. In particular, this projects aims for the first time to realize a frequency matched set of micro-comb chips that can function as a transceiver pair, one at the transmitter of an optical communications system, the other at the receiver. In order to test micro-comb performance in a modern communications testbed and demonstrate high bit rate, multiwavelength fiber transmission, collaboration with researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology Fiber-Optic Communication Laboratory is proposed. The collaboration between Purdue (micro-combs) and Chalmers (fiber communications) brings together expertise and facilities that are difficult to find at any single institution, giving potential for significant advances. The work proposed breaks new ground both in micro-comb development and in application to advanced communications. In terms of micro-combs, most work focuses on devices characterized by anomalous group velocity dispersion, for which a well-known instability can initiate comb formation. However, interactions between transverse modes of the waveguides utilized often hinders formation of coherent, low noise combs. Here an alternate approach, which relies on devices formed from normal dispersion waveguides and exploiting different comb generation physics, is proposed. Recent work at Purdue has shown that for such devices, mode interactions can be beneficial in initiating combs and steering them to coherence. A novel microresonator structure which uses thermo-optic heaters to control mode interactions and facilitate comb initiation is proposed. The thermo-optic heaters also enable frequency tuning of the comb; the current proposal will seek to obtain detailed understanding. By developing micro-combs that can be tuned and matched in frequency, the project seeks to demonstrate for the first time micro-combs functioning as a coherent transceiver pair for communications at aggregate rates exceeding 1 Tb/s.

标题：微孔子光学频率梳子作为超高速度Lightwave通讯的连贯收发器源，非技术描述：光纤光学器件是高速互联网的关键传输技术，因此对社会产生了巨大影响。 该提案旨在用一种称为光学微孔子的单个纳米仪设备来代替通常用于在光纤系统中提供多个数据通道的大型激光器。 在适当的条件下，微孔子可以生成一个频率梳子的精确均匀间隔的光频率。 每个频率都可用于在光纤上携带独立的数据通道，因为不同的无线电频率用于携带无线电传输中的不同通道。 通过更换大量激光器，提出的基于微孔子的光源可以潜在地降低成本和复杂性，同时根据产生的频率网格的精确度打开新的机会。 这种新颖的光源的进步也可能有助于将各种其他应用转移到实验室中，包括用于高级导航，环境感应和精确雷达的高精度时间转移。 该研究项目将为两名研究生提供支持，并应为在尖端技术领域的广泛培训提供出色的机会。 提出了与瑞典的先进光学通信实验室的国际合作，以表征开发设备为最先进的Lightwave通信的性能。 拟议的合作应通过为学生提供国际合作的机会来增强学生培训，包括在普渡大学举办访问研究人员以及在国外的高级通信实验室中获得经验。技术描述的权力频率combs，其中通过高质量的质量因子微度量通过单个频率的频率来产生多种倍增的光学频率。 该建议旨在推进微孔子频率梳子中的最先进，或者简单地在与其在相干多波长的光学通信中相关的方向上，以支持TB/s（1012位/s）及以上的传输速率。 特别是，该项目的目标是首次实现可以用作收发器对的频率匹配的微型炸弹芯片集，一个在光学通信系统的发射器上，另一个位于接收器。为了在现代通信测试台中测试微型炸弹性能并证明了高比特率，多波纤维纤维传输，并与查尔默斯技术大学纤维电流通信实验室的研究人员合作。 普渡（Purdue）（微型货币）与查尔默斯（Chalmers）（纤维通信）之间的合作汇集了在任何单个机构都难以找到的专业知识和设施，从而有可能取得重大进步。 拟议中的作品在微型炸弹开发和应用高级通信方面都打破了新的基础。 在微型鸡肉方面，大多数工作都集中在以异常群体分散为特征的设备上，为此，知名的不稳定性可以引发梳子形成。 但是，使用的波导的横向模式之间的相互作用通常会阻碍相干，低噪声梳的形成。 在这里，提出了一种依赖于正常分散波导形成的设备并利用不同的梳子产生物理学的替代方法。 普渡大学最近的工作表明，对于此类设备，模式相互作用可能有益于启动梳子并将其转向连贯。 提出了一种新型的微孔子结构，该结构使用热孔加热器来控制模式的相互作用并促进梳子起始。热通加热器还可以使梳子进行频率调整；当前的建议将寻求获得详细的理解。 通过开发可以按频率调整和匹配的微型棒球，该项目试图在首次发挥微型剂量，作为连贯的收发器对以超过1 tb/s的汇总速率进行通信。