COWS: Compact Optical Wavelength Shifter

The proposed effort seeks to develop technology for high-performance optical frequency shifting across the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum. The use of heterogeneous integrated photonics enables a compact solution that achieves broadband (DC to GHz) wavelength shifts while suppressing spurious sidebands with high rejection. Phase I of the activity represents a design and materials study to assess feasibility of the photonic architecture, evaluate SWaP and performance, and refine the manufacturing process. The proposed technology is capable of enabling additional functions that include optical pulse generation, spatial switching, and variable attenuation, and achieves a compact chip-scale format to enable low-SWaP solutions for deployable atomic clocks and inertial sensors.