Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits
Abstract Programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are emerging as powerful tools for control of light, with applications in quantum information processing, optical range finding, and artificial intelligence. Low-power implementations of these PICs involve micromechanical structures driven ca...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42866-3 |
| _version_ | 1797452140159959040 |
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| author | Mark Dong Julia M. Boyle Kevin J. Palm Matthew Zimmermann Alex Witte Andrew J. Leenheer Daniel Dominguez Gerald Gilbert Matt Eichenfield Dirk Englund |
| author_facet | Mark Dong Julia M. Boyle Kevin J. Palm Matthew Zimmermann Alex Witte Andrew J. Leenheer Daniel Dominguez Gerald Gilbert Matt Eichenfield Dirk Englund |
| author_sort | Mark Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are emerging as powerful tools for control of light, with applications in quantum information processing, optical range finding, and artificial intelligence. Low-power implementations of these PICs involve micromechanical structures driven capacitively or piezoelectrically but are often limited in modulation bandwidth by mechanical resonances and high operating voltages. Here we introduce a synchronous, micromechanically resonant design architecture for programmable PICs and a proof-of-principle 1×8 photonic switch using piezoelectric optical phase shifters. Our design purposefully exploits high-frequency mechanical resonances and optically broadband components for larger modulation responses on the order of the mechanical quality factor Q m while maintaining fast switching speeds. We experimentally show switching cycles of all 8 channels spaced by approximately 11 ns and operating at 4.6 dB average modulation enhancement. Future advances in micromechanical devices with high Q m , which can exceed 10000, should enable an improved series of low-voltage and high-speed programmable PICs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:04:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0efa5666cae4a499b5c9c03d86b72f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:04:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0efa5666cae4a499b5c9c03d86b72f12023-11-26T13:46:02ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-11-011411810.1038/s41467-023-42866-3Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuitsMark Dong0Julia M. Boyle1Kevin J. Palm2Matthew Zimmermann3Alex Witte4Andrew J. Leenheer5Daniel Dominguez6Gerald Gilbert7Matt Eichenfield8Dirk Englund9The MITRE CorporationThe MITRE CorporationThe MITRE CorporationThe MITRE CorporationThe MITRE CorporationSandia National LaboratoriesSandia National LaboratoriesThe MITRE CorporationSandia National LaboratoriesResearch Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAbstract Programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are emerging as powerful tools for control of light, with applications in quantum information processing, optical range finding, and artificial intelligence. Low-power implementations of these PICs involve micromechanical structures driven capacitively or piezoelectrically but are often limited in modulation bandwidth by mechanical resonances and high operating voltages. Here we introduce a synchronous, micromechanically resonant design architecture for programmable PICs and a proof-of-principle 1×8 photonic switch using piezoelectric optical phase shifters. Our design purposefully exploits high-frequency mechanical resonances and optically broadband components for larger modulation responses on the order of the mechanical quality factor Q m while maintaining fast switching speeds. We experimentally show switching cycles of all 8 channels spaced by approximately 11 ns and operating at 4.6 dB average modulation enhancement. Future advances in micromechanical devices with high Q m , which can exceed 10000, should enable an improved series of low-voltage and high-speed programmable PICs.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42866-3 |
| spellingShingle | Mark Dong Julia M. Boyle Kevin J. Palm Matthew Zimmermann Alex Witte Andrew J. Leenheer Daniel Dominguez Gerald Gilbert Matt Eichenfield Dirk Englund Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits Nature Communications |
| title | Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| title_full | Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| title_fullStr | Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| title_short | Synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| title_sort | synchronous micromechanically resonant programmable photonic circuits |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42866-3 |
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