Next Generation Platform for Advanced Optical Processing

处理信息的能力是正在塑造我们社会的技术革命的基石。今天，信息几乎完全是以电子方式处理的。在过去的几十年里，电子性能的进步是惊人的，但进一步的改进是具有挑战性的。此外，处理信息的新范式正在出现，例如量子计算，它们的实现将需要创新的解决方案。光学技术在信息时代的出现中发挥了关键作用，使大量数据得以传输。然而，与电子芯片相比，光学芯片的复杂性是原始的。实现大型动态集成光学系统的主要限制是缺乏有效的光控制机制。常用的方法是基于电光(EO)或热光(TO)效应。EO效应很弱，因此需要大的或共振的结构来增强它们。TO效果提供了更大的折射率变化，但需要耗电。因此，开发一种技术来制造紧凑和高效的组件来控制芯片上的光，将使具有数百个有源设备的高度灵活的集成光学系统成为可能，这就是我的发现计划的目标。将这项技术与机器学习或量子计算算法相结合，将导致光学处理领域的新的开创性范式。为了实现这一目标，我将利用我的研究团队在过去6年中在微电子机械系统(MEMS)和光波导集成方面开发的专业知识，创建一个高性能微制造平台，以构建创新的大规模光子系统。该平台将结合能源效率高的静电MEMS致动器和低损耗光波导来实现。与我们以前的工作相比，所提出的平台将遵循表面微加工的方法，以避免深度刻蚀步骤，从而简化制造。我们将利用该平台研究如何创造最先进的光学相控阵(OPA)和可编程光子处理器(PPP)。OPA需要数百个移相器来实现高分辨率，但由于每个执行器控制的信号之间在芯片上没有交互作用，因此可以很容易地表征它们。另一方面，PPP由相互连接的致动器组成的网格组成，从而产生了使先进光学处理研究成为可能的多功能设备。我的发现计划的成果将包括：i)重新定义集成光学系统的规模和复杂性的新型制造平台；ii)实现高效的OPA，其潜在应用于自动驾驶车辆、传感和卫星间通信；以及iii)创建大规模PPP，从而开创光信号处理的新纪元。它将培养4名博士和2名硕士。光学和微机械设计、微制造和测试专业的2名本科生。

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.