Lithium Niobate on Insulator integrated photonics

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Lithium Niobate (LN) contributed to the optical communications revolution. In recent years the introduction on the market of Lithium Niobate on Insulator (LNOI) reignited the interest in this material. This new paradigm for integrated photonics opens up entirely new on-chip photonics applications and sets new upper limits in term of theoretical performance. Several proofs of principle devices have been demonstrated as of today: CMOS compatible modulators, single-photon emitters, efficient non-linear devise on-chip. Still, high complexity systems and system integration are missing. The research objectives of the project are the development and demonstration of multi-features integrated photonics systems based on the novel Lithium Niobate on Insulator (LNOI) platform. This project targets the investigation of scalable LNOI and LNOI hybrids integrated photonics platforms as a mean to demonstrated novel integrated photonics systems. The platform will be used to demonstrate a photonic integrated circuit with performance beyond state of the art. Transceivers for short reach and long-haul communications, integrated systems for non-linear optics, quantum and ranging applications will be the main aims. Communication systems will mainly leverage the high electro-optic coefficient of the LN. As a primary objective and demonstrator of the project, transmitters will aim at a modulation speed >100GHz, which is beyond what any other scalable technology can offer today. These same systems will integrate coherent light sources (Kerr-comb generators), which will provide the optical signal to be modulated. Further, depending on the evolution of the project and the vision of the student, other proof-of-principle systems can be contemplated. Examples of these are quantum integrated circuits, LIDAR and ranging systems. They will leverage the high-efficiency non-linear conversion of LN (x(2)) and its large transparency window (visible to MID-IR).