The Photonic Chip

1
The Photonic Chip
Delay lines
Optical switch
Fibre to chip coupler
Junctions
Wavelength demux
Signal regeneration
Wavelength converter
Waveguides and bends
2
The Photonic Chip

• 3 main themes at Macquarie
• Fundamental Physics
• Process development
• Device development

3
Laser Direct Writing of guided wave devices

• Refractive index contrasts up to 10-2
• Comparable to optic fibre
• Compatible with most glasses
• Linear, non-linear, active
• Opportunities for direct writing of guided wave /
  photonic devices

4
Other opportunities

• Embedded devices
• Insensitive to humidity
• Reduced packaging requirements
• Compatible with different glasses
• Multi-component glasses
• 3-dimensional
• Up to 100 layers can be processed
• Reduced crosstalk
• Circumvent interconnect problems

5
Facilities (2003)

• Infrastructure Needs
• Fs laser and optics
• ARC LIEF
• Motion control
• Environmental control
• Temp stabilised
• Dust free
• Optical Characterisation
• Performance testing
• Microscopy
• Refractive index profiling
• Material Characterisation

6
Facilities (2004)

• Dust free, temperature stabilised laboratories
  with
• kHz ultrafast laser direct write facility
• 2x MHz ultrafast laser system
• Optical performance test station
• Microscopy / RI diagnostics
• Glass cutting / polishing
• Laser based tapering system

7
Systems Engineering

• 1. KHz rate ultrafast laser facility
• -regenerative amplifier
• -10s microns / sec
• 2. MHz rate ultrafast laser facility
• -pulse duration control
• -fibre laser pumped
• -millimetres / secondsoft glass only
• 3. MHz rate ultrafast laser facility
• -ARC LIEF
• -millimetres / sec.all glasses

8
Thank You

• In future
• C-Band Waveguide amplifier
• C-Band Waveguide laser

• Hi Power (gt10mW) Multi-? laser
• Optical switching (MHz)