Optical Source and Detectors for Characterizing Silicon Photonic Devices for Classical and Quantum Communications and Sensing

本申请建议购买可调谐激光器和相关的光学检测器，用于表征申请人正在使用在1.3 µm附近光波长下工作的硅芯片开发的新型光子器件。 激光器和一组探测器迫切需要支持最近获得的三个重大研究项目赠款，包括量子通信、数据中心光通信和生物传感器。此外，量子通信项目还需要两个单光子探测器。 *** 迄今为止，硅光子学的大多数研究都集中在1.55 µm附近的波长，即C波段。该波段被选择用于长距离光通信，主要是由于掺铒光纤放大器的可用性。由于该行业可用的组件过多（光放大器，滤波器，光纤，调制器，检测器和激光器），硅光子学研究人员自然会开发此标准波长的组件。然而，存在其他波长更合适的应用。第一种是不需要光放大器的短距离光通信。 我们不受1.55 µm的限制，而是可以在1.31 µm（O波段）工作，在此波段，数字脉冲的色散最小化。因此，用于数据中心的硅光子系统正在使用1.31微米，我们的目标是开发一个我们在UBC制造和测试的组件库。*** 对于量子光学，我们寻求最适合于开发按需高纯度单光子源的波长。硅中存在几种缺陷态，可以在1.3 μm附近发光（例如，G中心）。G中心具有许多共同的性质，使得金刚石中的氮空位可用作单光子的量子发射体。我们的目标是发展单光子源和单光子探测器，并建立一个原型的量子密钥分配（QKD）系统在硅实现。这将需要使用可调谐激光器和检测器表征光子晶体谐振器，然后使用单光子检测器系统表征添加到光子晶体腔的缺陷的单光子发射特性。后一步骤还将涉及相同的可调谐激光源，用于共振激发。*** 第三个应用是生物传感器。我们在生物传感器方面的研究目前正在1.55 µm波长上进行商业化。由于吸水性降低，水性介质（血液、唾液）中的传感器在1.3 µm处的性能比在1.55 µm处高10倍。我们的目标是研究1.3 μm波长的系统，并提高灵敏度。该项目与其他两个应用程序共享类似的设备设计和测试要求，即开发光纤耦合，分路器和滤波器等组件库，所有这些都需要使用可调谐激光器和检测器系统以及光学矢量网络分析仪进行表征。

This application proposes to purchase a tunable laser and associated optical detectors needed to characterize novel photonic devices that the applicants are developing using silicon chips operating at optical wavelengths near 1.3 µm. The laser and a set of detectors are urgently needed to support three recently awarded major research project grants in quantum communication, optical communications in data centres, and biosensors. In addition, two single photon detectors are required for the quantum communications project. *** Most research in silicon photonics to date has been focused on wavelengths near 1.55 µm, known as the C-band. This band was chosen for long distance optical telecommunications primarily due to the availability of erbium-doped fibre amplifiers. Due to the plethora of components available for this industry (optical amplifiers, filters, optical fibres, modulators, detectors, and lasers), it was natural for silicon photonics researchers to develop components at this standard wavelength. However, there are applications where other wavelengths are more suitable. The first is short-reach optical communications where optical amplifiers are not required. We are not constrained to 1.55 µm and instead can operate at 1.31 µm, the O-band, where the dispersion of digital pulses is minimized. Thus, silicon photonic systems for data centres are being implemented using 1.31 µm, and we aim to develop a library of components that we fabricate and test at UBC. *** For quantum optics, we seek a wavelength that is most suitable for developing on-demand high-purity single photon sources. There exist several defect states in silicon that can emit light near 1.3 µm (e.g., G-centre). The G-centre shares many of the properties that make nitrogen vacancies in diamond useful as quantum emitters for single photons. Our objective is to develop single photon sources and single photon detectors, and to build a prototype quantum key distribution (QKD) system implemented in silicon. This will require characterizing photonic crystal resonators using a tunable laser and detector, then characterizing the single photon emission properties of the defects added to the photonic crystal cavities using a single photon detector system. The latter step will also involve the same tunable laser source, for resonant excitation. *** The third application is for biosensors. Our research in biosensors is currently being commercialized at a wavelength of 1.55 µm. Sensors in aqueous media (blood, saliva) will perform 10X better at 1.3 µm than at 1.55 µm due to reduced water absorption. Our aim is to research systems at a 1.3 µm wavelength with improved sensitivity. This project shares similar device design and test requirements as the two other applications, namely the development of a library of components such as fibre coupling, splitters, and filters, all which need to be characterized using a tunable laser and detector system, and with an Optical Vector Network Analyzer.**