Project description
Pioneering hybrid photonic devices for advanced optical processing
Funded by the European Research Council, the GRAPHICS project aims to develop innovative photonic devices using a graphene/semiconductor hybrid platform for all-optical signal processing. The resulting architectures could help advance optical routing and processing on silicon chips, benefiting communications, datacom and interconnect applications. GRAPHICS will also bridge photonics and microelectronics by constructing CMOS-compatible platforms. Project activities will concentrate on two types of non-linear optical devices, both exploiting the unique non-linear characteristics of graphene: integrated pulsed III-V/Si microlasers and all-optical signal processing devices. The ability to electrically tune graphene properties will enable the creation of flexible and reconfigurable optical devices. GRAPHICS work will help create a new generation of integrated photonic circuits, with graphene playing a critical role in managing high-speed optical data.
Objective
"GRAPHICS aims at developing novel chip-based photonic devices for all-optical signal processing in graphene/ semiconductor hybrid platforms. The resulting architectures will be the cornerstone of a disruptive optical routing and processing technology on silicon chips for communications as well as Datacom and interconnect applications. These will also pave the way towards the photonic-microelectronic convergence, through the realization of CMOS compatible platforms.
Our research program will focus on two main classes of nonlinear optical devices: (1) integrated pulsed III-V/ Si microlasers, and (2) all-optical signal processing devices, relying on two distinct nonlinear features of graphene, i.e. its saturable absorption and its nonlinear Kerr response, respectively. In addition, the capability of tuning graphene properties electrically will allow us to create fundamentally flexible and reconfigurable intelligent optical devices.
The two classes of nonlinear devices targeted in the project represent significant achievements in their own right. However, they share some scientific and technological challenges. For instance, relevant strategies must be found for enhancing the typically low interaction of light with the monolayer of carbon atoms, as needed for the device miniaturization. Here, we will combine graphene with the nanophotonic toolbox -microcavities, or slow light photonic crystals- to enhance the light-graphene interaction and realize compact chip-scale devices. More fundamentally, these two classes of nonlinear devices will jointly contribute to shape the long-term vision of a fully integrated photonic platform, in which the pulsed microlaser delivers directly on-chip the optical peak power necessary to trigger all other ""intelligent"" devices onto the same circuit. GRAPHICS will therefore help to ""draw"" a novel generation of photonic integrated circuits and architectures, with graphene playing a key role, to be used for managing high-speed optical data."
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcrystals
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialstwo-dimensional nanostructuresgraphene
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsignal processing
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physicspulsed lasers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunications
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantHost institution
69134 Ecully
France