Silicon-based micro/nanophotonic devices for telecommunications and bio-sensing

预计到2022年，硅光电子市场的价值将达到10.79亿美元。市场增长的主要驱动力是下一代通信系统和数据中心互连的使用日益增加。硅光子学也被认为是医疗和生命科学传感研究开发的一个很有前途的领域，预计到2020年，其全球市场价值将增加两倍。因此，拟议研究计划的长期目标是发现商业上可行的创新硅基设备和系统，用于两个关键应用领域：(I)用于下一代电信的超大容量光通信和超高速信号处理；以及(Ii)用于检测环境污染物的可穿戴和自供电生物传感器。研究将不仅集中在器件设计和系统性能上，还将集中在实用方面，包括制造公差和集成兼容性。 为了承担这项研究，2名博士生，3名硕士研究生。将招募学生、1名研究助理和5名暑期本科生，并解决以下短期目标： 主题A.用于电信的硅纳米光子器件： 1)设计并演示了无源纳米光子器件，重点研究了实现超大容量光通信的多模分复用技术。 2)设计和演示硅基有源器件，如光学逻辑门，以实现超高速全光信号处理。 主题B.用于光学生物传感的硅器件： 设计一种可穿戴、自供电的集成硅生物传感器，用于检测飞机机舱内的神经毒素三甲酚磷酸盐等空气污染物。 拟议工作产生的成果和技术如果成功，将对(I)加拿大ICT行业的下一代通信网络具有更高的数据容量和更快的速度，以及(Ii)加拿大的健康、航空航天和国防行业的紧凑和高效的传感技术做出重大贡献。拟议的设备和系统的潜在商业化可能会带来新的商业活动，为加拿大带来显著的经济效益，并帮助加拿大作为领导者保持在先进技术的前沿。 拟议的研究计划将在光通信和生物传感、数值建模、硅光电子器件设计、制造和测试方面为HQP提供有效的培训。通过参与实验工作，所有HQP将在实际工程环境中发展分析和动手技能。HQP将在一个多学科的研究环境中与材料科学、化学和生物学的合作者一起曝光。他们将受到工业界和学术界雇主的高度追捧。

The silicon photonics market is expected to be worth US$1.079 billion by 2022. The major driver for the growth of the market is the increasing use in next-generation communication systems and interconnects for datacenters. Silicon photonics is also considered as a promising field for research development in sensing for medical and life sciences, whose global market value is predicted to triple by 2020. Thus, the long-term objective of the proposed research program is aimed at discovering innovative silicon-based devices and systems that are commercially viable, for the two key application areas: (i) ultra-high capacity optical communication and ultra-fast signal processing for next generation telecommunications; and (ii) wearable and self-powered bio-sensor for detecting environmental contaminants. Research will not only focus on the device design and system performance, but also on the practicality aspect including the fabrication tolerances and integration compatibility. To undertake this research, 2 Ph.D. students, 3 M.A.Sc. students, 1 research associate, and 5 summer undergraduate students will be recruited and address the following short-term objectives: Theme A. Silicon nanophotonic devices for telecommunications: 1) To design and demonstrate passive nanophotonic devices, with a focus on multimode division multiplexing for realizing ultra-high capacity optical communications. 2) To design and demonstrate silicon-based active devices, such as optical logic gates, for achieving ultra-fast all-optical signal processing. Theme B. Silicon devices for optical bio-sensing: To design a wearable and self-powered integrated silicon bio-sensor for airborne contaminants such as neurotoxin tricresyl phosphate in aircraft cabins. The results and technologies generated from the proposed work, if successful, can make significant contributions to (i) the Canadian ICT industries for next-generation communication networks with higher data capacity and faster speed, and (ii) the Canadian health, aerospace and defense industries for compact and efficient sensing technology. The potential commercialization of the proposed devices and systems could lead to new business activities, yield significant economic benefits to Canada, and help Canada as a leader and stay at the forefront of advanced technologies. The proposed research program will provide effective training for the HQPs in optical communications and bio-sensing; numerical modelling; silicon photonics device design, fabrication, and testing. Through participation in experimental work, all the HQP will develop analytical and hands-on skills in a practical engineering environment. The HQP will be exposed in a multi-disciplinary research environment with collaborators in material science, chemistry, and biology. They will be highly sought after by employers in industry and academia.