Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VISSION (Active Building Blocks for Visible and Near-Infrared Applications on a Silicon Nitride Interposer)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
VISSION's overall objective is the extension of the silicon nitride (SiN) photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform for the visible and near-infrared wavelength range (400 nm–1100 nm), with active building blocks including sources, detectors, and modulator. This is the spectral range of many biomedical applications, environmental sensing, and emerging applications such as the field of quantum sciences. Applications include optical coherence tomography (OTC), flow cytometry, environmental sensors to detect water pollution, quantum computers, and atomic clocks, which will benefit from an integrated active photonic platform at visible and near-IR wavelengths.
To reach the overall objective we break it into the following intermediate objectives:
A. Demonstration of a broadband platform, covering the range 400 nm – 1100 nm.
B. Demonstrate the future-proof modular integration techniques needed to integrate active generic components on the silicon nitride (SiN) interposer.
C. Demonstration of the application-specific system and sub-system circuits that include both the actives and passives.
D. Development of a strategy that allows for wide accessibility to the platform for photonic designers.
To reach the overall objective we break it into the following intermediate objectives:
A. Demonstration of a broadband platform, covering the range 400 nm – 1100 nm.
B. Demonstrate the future-proof modular integration techniques needed to integrate active generic components on the silicon nitride (SiN) interposer.
C. Demonstration of the application-specific system and sub-system circuits that include both the actives and passives.
D. Development of a strategy that allows for wide accessibility to the platform for photonic designers.
During the initial 18 months of the project, the VISSION team has concentrated on various technological aspects essential for reaching the project's ultimate objective. Preliminary efforts have been directed towards designing and integrating generic components such as sources, modulators, and detectors to cover the 400-1100 nm range.
Specifically, the research has focused on:
(i) Specifying component requirements and designing the layout of optical devices (D1.1).
(ii) Developing and implementing a fabrication process for a dual waveguide layer silicon nitride platform, with the initial batch of SiN1 fabrication completed.
(iii) Designing and characterizing GaN coupons for MTP (D3.1 3.2 3.3).
(iv) Designing and characterizing GaAs coupons (D4.1 4.3).
(v) Electrically and optically characterizing PZT thin films and demonstrating propagation at 800 nm with acceptable losses (D5.1).
(vi) Designing p(-i-)n silicon photodetectors (PDs) based on the iSiPP50G platform (D6.1).
Additionally, the consortium has actively disseminated scientific findings related to VISSION through various open-access publications and participation in scientific conferences and events, where the overarching concept of VISSION was presented. The work accomplished during this initial phase constitutes valuable progress for the activities planned in the second year.
The work performed during this first period represents valuable results for the activities started for this second year.
Specifically, the research has focused on:
(i) Specifying component requirements and designing the layout of optical devices (D1.1).
(ii) Developing and implementing a fabrication process for a dual waveguide layer silicon nitride platform, with the initial batch of SiN1 fabrication completed.
(iii) Designing and characterizing GaN coupons for MTP (D3.1 3.2 3.3).
(iv) Designing and characterizing GaAs coupons (D4.1 4.3).
(v) Electrically and optically characterizing PZT thin films and demonstrating propagation at 800 nm with acceptable losses (D5.1).
(vi) Designing p(-i-)n silicon photodetectors (PDs) based on the iSiPP50G platform (D6.1).
Additionally, the consortium has actively disseminated scientific findings related to VISSION through various open-access publications and participation in scientific conferences and events, where the overarching concept of VISSION was presented. The work accomplished during this initial phase constitutes valuable progress for the activities planned in the second year.
The work performed during this first period represents valuable results for the activities started for this second year.
The platform envisioned in this project is a unique way to develop the necessary building blocks and integrate them heterogeneously with the enhanced silicon nitride platform, covering the 400-1100 nm range. This will allow for specific applications such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and cytometry in the biomedical field, while narrow linewidth lasers are linked to the industrial quantum world.
In comparison with the state-of-the-art integrated photonics at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, VISSION will provide the integration of sources and detectors exploiting the so-called micro-transfer printing method, which permits the integration of many components on a wafer-scale at visible wavelengths, providing systems with robustness, energy efficiency, high stability, and speed.
The advanced complete on-chip integration proposed by VISSION will offer
i. the possibility of increasing the system complexity and strengthening the industrial capability of photonic device fabrication,
ii. the cost reduction, lowering the barrier to the use of advanced/innovative photonic integration technologies for companies, and high-tech SMEs,
iii providing European open strategic autonomy in Photonic Integrated Circuits and related manufacturing processing
In comparison with the state-of-the-art integrated photonics at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, VISSION will provide the integration of sources and detectors exploiting the so-called micro-transfer printing method, which permits the integration of many components on a wafer-scale at visible wavelengths, providing systems with robustness, energy efficiency, high stability, and speed.
The advanced complete on-chip integration proposed by VISSION will offer
i. the possibility of increasing the system complexity and strengthening the industrial capability of photonic device fabrication,
ii. the cost reduction, lowering the barrier to the use of advanced/innovative photonic integration technologies for companies, and high-tech SMEs,
iii providing European open strategic autonomy in Photonic Integrated Circuits and related manufacturing processing