Next Generation Platform for Advanced Optical Processing

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The ability to process information is the cornerstone of the technological revolutions that are shaping our society. Today, information is processed almost exclusively electronically. The progress in electronic performance over the past decades has been astonishing but further improvement is challenging. Moreover, novel paradigms to process information, such as quantum computing, are emerging and their realization will require innovative solutions. Optical technologies played a key role in the emergence of the information age by enabling the transmission of vast amounts of data. Yet, the complexity of optical chips is primitive in comparison to electronic ones. The main limitation on the implementation of large dynamic integrated optical systems is the lack of efficient mechanisms to control light. The common methods are based on electro-optic (EO) or thermo-optic (TO) effects. EO effects are weak and thus require large or resonating structures to enhance them. TO effects provide a larger refractive index change but are power hungry. Therefore, developing a technology to create compact and efficient components to control light on chips will enable highly flexible integrated optical systems with hundreds of active devices, and this is the objective of my Discovery program. Combining this technology with machine learning or quantum computing algorithms will lead to new groundbreaking paradigms in optical processing. To achieve this, I will leverage the expertise developed by my research group over the past 6 years on the integration of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and optical waveguides to create a high performance microfabrication platform to build innovative large-scale photonic systems. The platform will combine energy efficient electrostatic MEMS actuators with low-loss optical waveguides. In contrast with our previous work, the proposed platform will follow a surface micromachining approach to avoid deep etching steps and hence simplify fabrication. We will use the platform to investigate how to create state-of-the-art optical phased arrays (OPAs) and programmable photonic processors (PPPs). OPAs require hundreds of phase shifters to achieve a high resolution but since there is no interaction on chip between the signals controlled by each actuator they can be characterized easily. PPPs on the other hand are made of meshes of interconnected actuators that result in versatile devices enabling research in advanced optical processing. The outcomes of my Discovery program will include: i) a novel fabrication platform that redefines the scale and complexity of integrated optical systems; ii) the realisation of highly efficient OPAs with potential applications in autonomous vehicles, sensing and inter-satellite communications; and iii) the creation of large-scale PPPs enabling a new era in optical signal processing. It will train 4 PhDs, 2 M.Sc. and 2 undergraduate students in optical and MEMS design, microfabrication, and testing.