Descrizione del progetto
Laser multicolore si aggancia ai segnali di interesse ad alta velocità, il tutto su un chip fotonico
La cosiddetta gamma di frequenze sub-terahertz è di importanza fondamentale per le crescenti applicazioni in comunicazioni wireless ad alta velocità, radar, telerilevamento e immaginografia biomedica e di sicurezza. Con l’esplosione dei circuiti fotonici integrati, il potenziale dei dispositivi su chip sub-THz è enorme, ma la loro diffusione sta affrontando alcune sfide importanti. Il progetto COLOR-UP, finanziato dall’UE, prevede di rimuovere uno di questi ostacoli attraverso l’utilizzo innovativo di laser multicolore per fornire filtri di frequenza su chip che funzionano nella gamma desiderata e oltre. Tali laser saranno presentati in un circuito fotonico integrato progettato per emettere luce nella gamma di frequenze delle telecomunicazioni.
Obiettivo
MicroWave Photonics (MWP) has been delivering on-chip devices with outstanding performances to answer the demand of Information and Communication Technologies for always faster, more efficient and more compact systems. Yet, some stringent limitations form a roadblock for disruptive specifications: for instance, on-chip MWP frequency filters hardly perform beyond 60 GHz, whereas the technology and applications require frequencies in the sub-THz range from 100 GHz to several THz. This frequency band will directly support future ultra-fast telecom systems, but also sensing techniques such as THz spectroscopy e.g. for food contaminant detection or mm-precision RADARs for robotic systems.
With COLOR'UP, my goal is to remove this frequency roadblock by exploring and implementing on-chip a radically new concept exploiting the nonlinear dynamics of multi-colour lasers. These lasers naturally generate a set of sharp beat-notes in the sub-THz range corresponding to the frequency separation between the different wavelengths. Injecting an optical beam in a multi-colour laser with a modulation at well-chosen frequencies can lead to injection-locking of all wavelengths simultaneously. Spectral components that are not matching the beat-notes will however not be picked up and will be filtered out in the laser output.
In this project, I will demonstrate that this effect can be exploited to create all-optical on-chip MWP bandpass filters with the capability to cover the entire sub-THz range from tens of GHz, up to a few THz. My goals are four-fold: (1) design and realize multi-colour lasers with tailored spectra to achieve filtering at precise frequencies (2) study the underlying filtering mechanism to optimize the filter performances (3) develop on-chip control techniques based on optical feedback to control the filter properties (4) make a Proof-of-Concept demonstration of the filter on an InP photonic integrated circuit emitting in the telecom band, around the 1.55 um wavelength
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technologyradar
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-STG - Starting GrantIstituzione ospitante
1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
Belgio