Tunable Silicon Transmitter for Wide Wavelength Range Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) Avionic Networks

The goal of this project is to design a widely tunable silicon transmitter for fiber optic communications for avionic applications. By utilizing a silicon photonics platform pioneered at the University of California at Santa Barbara and now developed further at Aurrion LLC, we are able to combine micro-ring resonators fabricated in silicon in conjunction with III-V gain and modulation elements to create a tunable transmitter that can span the entire gain spectrum of a given quantum well structure. In addition, by quantum well intermixing (QWI) in select areas of the III-V material the gain peak can be shifted to provide a bank of 3 to 4 tunable lasers that cover a 100 nm spectral range and to create electro absorption modulators on a single substrate. Aurrion has experience in fabricating lasers, SOA amplifiers, and photo detectors in partnership with high volume Si foundries (Intel) so that these components can be fabricated at greatly reduced cost on a high volume CMOS line. The cost reductions possible with this approach could revolutionize optoelectronics and provide innovative photonic components that cannot be realized with existing stand alone III-V or Si photonic technology.