Www.photonics.ece.mcgill.ca McGill Photonic Systems Group Andrew Kirk Micro and nano-optics Optical interconnects Applications of MEMS Lawrence Chen Optical

www.photonics.ece.mcgill.ca

McGill Photonic Systems Group

Andrew KirkMicro and nano-opticsOptical interconnectsApplications of MEMS

Lawrence ChenOptical amplifiersFiber lasersTransmission and coding issues

David PlantOptoelectronicsVLSI photonicsHigh speed packagingOptical switches

+ ~ 30 graduate students, research engineers and post-docs

Dominik Pudo [email protected]


“Photonics”

• The PHOTON is to PHOTONics as the ELECTRON is to ELECTRONics.

• Three major developments in the recent past are responsible for the rejuvenation of this field:

– Invention of the diode laser (1961)– Fabrication of low loss fiber (1970)– Maturing of semiconductor optical devices (1970s to

present)• Modern definition of photonics as applied to

communications: generation, modulation, transmission, and detection of light.


Why light for communications ?

Optical communication Electrical transmission lines

Low carrier frequencyHigh carrier frequency (1014 Hz)(Almost) no modulation effects Distortion of modulated signals

Dielectric waveguides Conducting waveguidesLow loss Frequency dependent lossSmall wavelength Large wavelengthTight confinement Bulky

High impedance medium Low impedance linesLow power High power


Limitations of electrical interconnects: the off-chip challenge

• As data rates increase, electrical interconnects are limited by:

– Power– Distortion– Cross-talk– Pin-out capacity

• Fundamental: Aspect ratio limit*

l A)bit/s(10 2

16max

l

AB

*D.A.B.Miller and H.M.Ozaktas, J.Parallel Distrib. Comput., 41, pp 42-52, 1997


Optical Communications

Length1mm 1cm 10cm 1m 10m 100m 1km 10km

BackplaneBoard

100km

Medium distanceParallel optical interconnect

Shelf

Chip

Campus/City/etc.

Long distanceOptical fiber

Rack

Free-spaceoptics

Recent record: 10 Tbps over 100km 3 Tbps over 7300km


Research Overview-1

• developing ultrafast photonic and fiber optic technologies for broadband telecommunications, optical sensing, and biomedicine. Specific areas include:

– Ultrafast Photonic Signal Processing

– Fiber Amplifiers and Lasers

– Photonic Networks

– Microwave Photonics

-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Time, ps

Aut

ocor

rela

tion

Tra

ce,

n.u.

Generation of a 325 GHzoptical pulse burst


Research Overview-2

• Parallel Optical Interconnects

–Free-space optical interconnects

–Parallel fiber interconnects

• Components for future optical fiber networks

–Multiplexers

–Switches


Free-Space Optical Backplane


Clustered system: 512 channel parallel optical board to board link*

• 86 mm throw• 3x6 mm active area• 256 channels (bidirectional)• 28 channels/mm2

Clustered optical design

ICMicrolens array

Glass spacer

Relay system

Minilens

Prism

VCSEL cluster

Detector cluster

Prism

*M. Châteauneuf et al, Optics in Computing 2001, pp.64-66.

86 mm


Completed 512 channel bidirectional system


Research Overview-3

• Research in micro-optics and MEMS ( Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

• Free-space micro-optics for optical interconnects

• Micro-optics for telecomm systems

• Micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS)

• Sub-wavelength structured surfaces and devices


MEMS mirror


Clean room and packaging laboratories

• 1000 sq ft., class 10,000 clean room including a fume hood

• High and low power laser systems

• Test and measurement equipment supporting 12.5 Gbps digital (BERT, scopes, etc.) and 22 GHz analog (lightwave component analyzer, signal generators, etc.)

• Free space and fiber based optics and optomechanics

• Wirebonding and packaging


Fiber optics lab and design software New fiber optics laboratory

• C + L band EDFAs, broadband, DFB, and tunable sources

• 10 – 40 GHz mode-locked fiber laser• Optical spectrum analyzer• Communication signal analyzer• Polarization diagnostics• Fusion splicer• 10 and 40 Gbps modulators; 10 Gbps

receivers

Software

• Circuit design• Optical/fiber• Mechanical

> 3 000 000 $ of equipment


Fiber optics lab


Courses?

Undergraduate:• 423B: propagation, sources, free-space, detectors • 430A: waveguides, photonic devices, network• 492A: source, link, simulation, network devices

Graduate:• 527B: free-space, systems, simulations • 571A: laser sources and detectors (O/E – E/O)• 596A: waveguides, propagation


Thank you!

Documents

Www.photonics.ece.mcgill.ca McGill Photonic Systems Group Andrew Kirk Micro and nano-optics Optical interconnects Applications of MEMS Lawrence Chen Optical