Compact CMOS-Compatible Optical Transceiver

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and the research group of Professor Richard Osgood at Columbia University propose to develop a compact optical transceiver based on devices fabricated on a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) platform. The recent development of novel integrated structures in silicon including waveguides, resonators, and photodetectors will enable dramatic reductions in size, weight, and power for components implementing complex functions. During a successful Phase I program, PSI and Columbia designed, fabricated, and demonstrated a novel ring resonator architecture based on coherent perfect absorption (CPA) for demodulating coherent optical signals. Novel detectors based on ion implanted silicon were integrated into the waveguide to enable implementation of optical demodulation. These components will be optimized and integrated with a laser to create an integrated transceiver during the Phase II program. The technology developed in this program will be ideally suited to Air Force platforms including aircraft and satellites. The compact size of the proposed technology will enable scaling to arrays for use in multi-wavelength applications including optical data centers.