Silicon Photonics for Future Systems

Silicon Photonics准备在从芯片内和芯片间互连到芯片上实验室的应用中转变光子学;从消费产品到光纤到家庭收发器;从高性能计算互连到环境传感。换句话说，硅将把光子技术带到大众市场。尽管最近取得了重大进展，但为了成功地以这种方式转变光子学，仍需要克服几个关键的研究挑战。在这个项目中，我们将解决所有这些研究挑战，在这样做的过程中，我们将不亚于促进低成本光子学的革命，将英国置于其中心。为了在大众市场中取得成功，硅光子学需要（i）在晶片级进行全面测试的低成本方法;（ii）从光纤到光学芯片的无源对准耦合技术;（iii）缩放光子电路的功能的手段;（iv）非常低功率、高数据速率的调制器;以及（v）低成本的芯片上集成激光器。迄今为止，这些问题都没有令人满意的解决方案，但本计划将为所有这些问题找到解决方案。我们在工作的各个方面都具有技术优势，这是因为我们以前的项目生产了当今世界上最好的硅调制器，以及第一个可擦除硅布拉格光栅;或者是由于我们在这个项目之前已经进行的准备工作，在这个项目中，我们已经进行了建模，甚至是一些关于双层光子学的准备实验，光纤与硅光子电路的被动对准。在低成本集成激光器方面，我们有欧洲项目的经验，我们也与韩国KAIST的国际合作伙伴合作，他们共同在该领域拥有技术领先地位。为了最大限度地发挥我们工作的影响力，我们将在项目结束时制作概念验证演示器，向英国境内的所有利益相关者展示研究成果，这种方法吸引了主要的工业合作伙伴参与该计划，因为他们认识到将要完成的变革性工作，以及为工作做出贡献并影响其方向和影响的机会。我们所提出的计划的重要性已经得到了国际上的认可，因为我们在麻省理工学院的Kimerling教授的支持信中被要求每年向麻省理工学院协调的美国行业论坛报告，为英国支持的工作提供了巨大的曝光率。在支持信中，拟议的工作已被麻省理工学院，英特尔，东京大学和巴黎南大学的世界各地的领导者以及英国从事其他项目赠款的光子学领导者认可为必不可少的（Seeds（伦敦大学学院）、Penty（剑桥）、Zayats（国王）、Dawson（斯特拉斯克莱德）、Payne和Zheludev（都是南安普顿）以及英国工业（Oclaro、夏普、温特沃斯）。在该计划中，我们有4个英国工业合作伙伴（Oclaro，温特沃斯实验室，欧洲夏普公司和英特尔），4个国际学术合作伙伴（KAIST，麻省理工学院，东京大学和巴黎南），以及英国学术机构提供的众多支持和合作。我们的合作者已承诺向该方案提供约50万英镑的实物支助。

Silicon Photonics is poised to transform photonics in applications ranging from intra and inter-chip interconnect to lab on a chip; from consumer products to Fibre to the Home transceivers; from high performance computing interconnect to environmental sensing. In other words silicon will bring photonics to mass markets. Despite significant progress recently, in order to successfully transform photonics in this way, several key research challenges still need to be overcome. In this programme we will tackle all of these research challenges, and in so doing we will do nothing less than facilitate a revolution in low cost photonics, placing the UK at its centre. To succeed in mass markets silicon photonics requires (i) a low cost method of comprehensively testing at the wafer scale; (ii) a passive alignment coupling technique from fibre to optical chip; (iii) a means of scaling the functionality of the photonic circuit; (iv) very low power, high data rate modulators; and (v) low cost integrated lasers on chip. To date there are no satisfactory solutions for any of these issues, but this programme will find solutions for them all.We have a technical advantage in all aspects of the work due either to previous projects in which we have produced the best silicon modulators in the world today, as well as the first erasable silicon Bragg gratings; or due to preparatory work that we have carried out in advance of this project in which we have carried out modelling and even some preparatory experimentation on dual layer photonics, passive alignment of fibres to silicon photonics circuits. In the case of low cost integrated lasers, we have previous experience within a European project, and we are also working with an international collaborator from KAIST, Korea, with whom we jointly have a technical lead in the area.To maximise the impact of our work, we will produce proof-of-concept demonstrators towards the end of the programme, that showcase the research achievements to all stakeholders within the UK, an approach that has attracted key industrial partners to the programme as they recognise both the transformative work that will be done, and the opportunity to contribute to the work and influence its direction and impact. The importance of our proposed programme has already been recognised internationally as we have been asked in a letter of support from Professor Kimerling at MIT, to report annually to the USA industry forum, co-ordinated by MIT, giving tremendous exposure for UK supported work. In letters of support the proposed work has been endorsed as essential by leaders in the field from around the world at MIT, Intel, Tokyo University, and Paris-Sud University, as well as photonics leaders from within the UK engaged in other programme grants (Seeds (UCL), Penty (Cambridge), Zayats (Kings), Dawson (Strathclyde), Payne and Zheludev (both Southampton), and UK industry (Oclaro, Sharp, Wentworth). Within the programme, we have 4 UK industrial partners (Oclaro, Wentworth Laboratories, Sharp Laboraties of Europe, and Intel), 4 international academic partners (KAIST, MIT, University of Tokyo, and Paris Sud), as well as numerous offers of support and collaboration from academic institutions within the UK. Our collaborators have pledged ~£500,000 of in-kind support to the programme.