Description du projet
Les oscillateurs micro-ondes de la photonique sur silicium se rapprochent de la commercialisation
Les sources micro-ondes de haute qualité trouvent leur utilité dans de multiples applications, notamment les radars, les réseaux sans fil et les satellites. Les oscillateurs optoélectroniques, plus particulièrement, présentent de nombreux avantages par rapport à leurs homologues électroniques. Ainsi, ils sont insensibles aux interférences électromagnétiques, légers, compacts et peuvent être transportés sur de longues distances. Le projet SIOMO, financé par l’UE, entend commercialiser un oscillateur micro-ondes optoélectronique de la photonique sur silicium basé sur l’optomécanique des cavités qui a été récemment démontré dans le cadre du projet PHENOMEN. Cet oscillateur micro-ondes, qui n’entre pas en résonance avec lui-même, présente un niveau de bruit remarquablement bas à des fréquences de l’ordre du gigahertz.
Objectif
High-quality microwave sources are required in multiple applications (radar, wireless networks, satellites, etc.). Typically, low-noise microwave oscillators are made by applying frequency multiplication to an electronic source. This requires a cascade of frequency-doubling stages, which strongly reduces the power of the final signal. Recently, different techniques to produce microwave tones via optical means have been proposed. The resulting device is an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO), with many advantages with respect to its electronic counterparts (immunity to EM interference, low weight, compactness, long-distance transport, etc).
In the FET-Open project PHENOMEN, partner UPV designed and demonstrated a novel optomechanical cavity on a silicon chip displaying, for the first time, a localized mechanical mode at frequencies around 4 GHz within a full phononic bandgap and with a large OM coupling rate. By pumping the cavity with a blue-detuned laser, a high-Q microwave tone at f = 3.874 GHz is created at driving power of the order of 1mW. The noise figure of this OEO becomes as low as -101 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz, which is a remarkable good value for an OEO oscillating at GHz frequencies without any feedback mechanism. In addition, stronger pumping of the cavity enables the generation of multiple harmonics, thus reaching microwave frequencies above 10 GHz. Therefore, with the advantages of extreme compactness and Silicon-technology compatibility, this approach is a very promising candidate to build ultraweight OEOs, highly appropriate for space applications. Notably, the use of photonic technologies in space is one of the main activities of partner DAS.
SIOMO aims at turning a silicon-photonics optoelectronic oscillator based on cavity optomechanics - recently demonstrated in the FET-Open project PHENOMEN by partner UPV - into a genuine economic innovation by addressing its technological transfer to the space sector via partner DAS.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicsoptoelectronics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticscavity optomechanics
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technologyradar
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinateur
46022 Valencia
Espagne