Silicon-rich silicon nitride Nonlinear Integrated Photonic ciRcuits & Systems (juNIPeRS)

在过去的几十年里，互联网通信对现代社会产生了巨大的变革效应，影响了现代生活的方方面面，从商业和医疗保健到政治，再到教育和娱乐。光通信技术在这场革命中发挥了决定性的作用，并将继续发挥核心作用。波分复用允许在单模光纤上每秒传输数百太比特，并支持波长路由，其中光频率而不是物理光纤路径决定网络中信号的路由。通信流量的不断增长要求有效地利用网络资源，因此，现代光网络的复杂性不断增加，需要动态地分配资源。该项目的最终目标是实现下一代可重构的加丢/多路复用器，该复用器将允许通过全光波长转换重新分配信号波长。为了实现这一目标，juNIPeRS将研究富硅氮化硅作为cmos兼容的光学非线性材料平台，并将利用其独特的特性来实现具有前所未有非线性性能的集成器件。juNIPeRS将遵循垂直研究路径，包括材料优化和光子集成系统制造、器件设计和优化、系统集成以及通信环境中的演示和测试。具体来说，juNIPeRS将：-开发低损耗、色散工程非线性波导，这将构成波长转换系统的核心。-优化耦合器，使这些集成组件和光纤系统之间的光有效耦合。-演示集成波长转换器和相敏放大器，其操作将与输入信号的极化无关。-实现集成线性（如开关）和非线性组件（如波长转换器）的多层光子系统。随着新技术平台的发展，juNIPeRS的目标是促进灵活光网络设计的转变，其中实用的集成光子组件将用于光频率的操纵。该新材料平台有望在通信以外的非线性光学其他领域产生重要影响，研究人员将采取积极措施进行推广。juNIPeRS将学术团体和主要工业合作伙伴聚集在一起，他们最有能力对新技术的商业相关性进行批判性评估，并指导其发展。该项目将培养新一代高素质的光学工程师，并将为英国光电子行业的健康和可持续发展做出贡献。

Internet communications have effected a massive transformational effect in modern societies over the past few decades, affecting all aspects of modern life, from commerce and healthcare through politics to education and entertainment. Optical communication technologies have played a decisive role and remain central to this revolution. Wavelength division multiplexing allows the transmission of hundreds of terabits per second over a single mode fibre and has enabled wavelength routing, where the optical frequency, rather than the physical fibre path, determines the routing of a signal in a network. The relentless growth in communication traffic necessitates an effective use of network resources, and in response, modern optical networks increase in complexity and require dynamic allocation of their resources.The ultimate objective of this project is to enable a next generation reconfigurable add-drop de/muliptlexer that will allow re-allocation of the signal wavelength through all-optical wavelength conversion. In order to achieve this, juNIPeRS will study silicon-rich silicon nitride as a CMOS-compatible optical nonlinear material platform and will exploit its unique characteristics to implement integrated devices with unprecedented nonlinear performance.juNIPeRS will follow a vertical research path, that will include material optimisation and fabrication of photonic integrated systems, device design and optimisation, system integration, and demonstration and testing in a communications environment. Specifically, juNIPeRS will:- Develop low-loss, dispersion engineered nonlinear waveguides that will form the core of wavelength converting systems.- Optimise couplers for efficient coupling of light between these integrated components and fibre optic systems.- Demonstrate integrated wavelength converters and phase-sensitive amplifiers, the operation of which will be independent of the polarisation of the incoming signal.- Implement multi-layered photonic systems integrating both linear (e.g. switches) and nonlinear components (e.g. wavelength converters).With the development of the new technological platform, the ambition of juNIPeRS is to facilitate a shift in the design of flexible optical networks, where practical integrated photonic components will be used for the manipulation of the optical frequencies. The new material platform is expected to have important implications in other areas of nonlinear optics outside communications, and the investigators will take active steps to promote it.juNIPeRS brings together academic groups and key industrial partners who are best placed to critically appraise the commercial relevance of the new technology and guide its development. The project will train a new generation of highly qualified optical engineers and will contribute to the health and sustainability of the UK photonics sector.