Flexible Data Rate Allocation Using Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) in a Mode Division Multiplexing (MDM) Optical Power Splitter for System-on-Chip Networks.

We put forward and demonstrate a silicon photonics (SiPh)-based mode division multiplexed (MDM) optical power splitter that supports transverse-electric (TE) single-mode, dual-mode, and triple-mode (i.e., TE0, TE1, and TE2). An optical power splitter is needed for optical signal distribution and routing in optical interconnects. However, a traditional optical splitter only divides the power of the input optical signal. This means the same data information is received at all the output ports of the optical splitter. The powers at different output ports may change depending on the splitting ratio of the optical splitter. The main contributions of our proposed optical splitter are: (i) Different data information is received at different output ports of the optical splitter via the utilization of NOMA. By adjusting the power ratios of different channels in the digital domain (i.e., via software control) at the Tx, different channel data information can be received at different output ports of the splitter. It can increase the flexibility of optical signal distribution and routing. (ii) Besides, the proposed optical splitter can support the fundamental TE0 mode and the higher modes TE1, TE2, etc. Supporting mode-division multiplexing and multi-mode operation are important for future optical interconnects since the number of port counts is limited by the chip size. This can significantly increase the capacity besides wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and spatial division multiplexing (SDM). The integrated SiPh MDM optical power splitter consists of a mode up-conversion section implemented by asymmetric directional couplers (ADCs) and a Y-branch structure for MDM power distribution. Here, we also propose and discuss the use of the Genetic algorithm (GA) for the MDM optical power splitter parameter optimization. Finally, to provide adjustable data rates at different output ports after the MDM optical power splitter, non-orthogonal multiple access-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (NOMA-OFDM) is also employed. Experimental results validate that, in three modes (TE0, TE1, and TE2), user-1 and user-2 achieve data rates of (user-1: greater than 22 Gbit/s; user-2: greater than 12 Gbit/s) and (user-1: greater than 12 Gbit/s; user-2: 24 Gbit/s), respectively, at power-ratio (PR) = 2.0 or 3.0. Each channel meets the hard-decision forward-error-correction (HD-FEC, i.e., BER = 3.8 × 10-3) threshold. The proposed method allows flexible data rate allocation for multiple users for optical interconnects and system-on-chip networks.

Wideband and Channel Switchable Mode Division Multiplexing (MDM) Optical Power Divider Supporting 7.682 Tbit/s for On-Chip Optical Interconnects.

Silicon photonics (SiPh) are considered a promising technology for increasing interconnect speed and capacity while decreasing power consumption. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) enables signals to be transmitted in different orthogonal modes in a single waveguide core. Wideband MDM components simultaneously supporting wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) can significantly increase the transmission capacity for optical interconnects. In this work, we propose, fabricate and demonstrate a wideband and channel switchable MDM optical power divider on an SOI platform, supporting single, dual and triple modes. The switchable MDM power divider consists of two parts. The first part is a cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) for switching the data from their original TE0, TE1 and TE2 modes to different modes among themselves. After the target modes are identified, mode up-conversion and Y-branch are utilized in the second part for the MDM power division. Here, 48 WDM wavelength channels carrying OFDM data are successfully switched and power divided. An aggregated capacity of 7.682 Tbit/s is achieved, satisfying the pre-forward error correction (pre-FEC) threshold (bit-error-rate, BER = 3.8 × 10-3). Although up to three MDM modes are presented in the proof-of-concept demonstration here, the proposed scheme can be scaled to higher order modes operation.

Design Consideration, Numerical and Experimental Analyses of Mode-Division-Multiplexed (MDM) Silicon Photonics Integrated Circuit with Sharp Bends.

Due to the popularity of different high bandwidth applications, it is becoming increasingly difficult to satisfy the huge data capacity requirements, since the traditional electrical interconnects suffer significantly from limited bandwidth and huge power consumption. Silicon photonics (SiPh) is one of the important technologies for increasing interconnect capacity and decreasing power consumption. Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) allows signals to be transmitted simultaneously, at different modes, in a single waveguide. Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and orthogonal-frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) can also be utilized to further increase the optical interconnect capacity. In SiPh integrated circuits, waveguide bends are usually inevitable. However, for an MDM system with a multimode bus waveguide, the modal fields will become asymmetric when the waveguide bend is sharp. This will introduce inter-mode coupling and inter-mode crosstalk. One simple approach to achieve sharp bends in multimode bus waveguide is to use a Euler curve. Although it has been reported in the literature that sharp bends based on a Euler curve allow high performance and low inter-mode crosstalk multimode transmissions, we discover, by simulation and experiment, that the transmission performance between two Euler bends is length dependent, particularly when the bends are sharp. We investigate the length dependency of the straight multimode bus waveguide between two Euler bends. High transmission performance can be achieved by a proper design of the waveguide length, width, and bend radius. By using the optimized MDM bus waveguide length with sharp Euler bends, proof-of-concept NOMA-OFDM experimental transmissions, supporting two MDM modes and two NOMA users, are performed.

2.805 Gbit/s high-bandwidth phosphor white light visible light communication utilizing an InGaN/GaN semipolar blue micro-LED.

We propose and implement a high-bandwidth white-light visible light communication (VLC) system accomplishing data rate of 2.805 Gbit/s utilizing a semipolar blue micro-LED. The system uses an InGaN/GaN semipolar (20-21) blue micro-LED to excite yellow phosphor film for high-speed VLC. The packaged 30 µm 2 × 4 blue micro-LED array has an electrical-to-optical (EO) bandwidth of 1042.5 MHz and a peak wavelength of 447 nm. The EO bandwidth of the white-light VLC system is 849 MHz. Bit error rate (BER) of 2.709 × 10-3 meeting the pre-forward error correction (FEC) threshold is accomplished by employing a bit and power loaded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal. The proposed white-light VLC system employs simple and inexpensive yellow phosphor film for white-light conversion, complex color conversion material is not needed. Besides, no optical blue filter is employed in the white-light VLC system. The fabrication of the InGaN/GaN semipolar (20-21) blue micro-LED is discussed, and its characteristics are also evaluated.

Volatile Gas Sensing through Terahertz Pipe Waveguide.

Gas sensing to recognize volatile liquids is successfully conducted through pipe-guided terahertz (THz) radiation in a reflective and label-free manner. The hollow core of a pipe waveguide can efficiently deliver the sensing probe of the THz confined waveguide fields to any place where dangerous vapors exist. Target vapors that naturally diffuse from a sample site into the pipe core can be detected based on strong interaction between the probe and analyte. The power variation of the THz reflectance spectrum in response to various types and densities of vapors are characterized experimentally using a glass pipe. The most sensitive THz frequency of the pipe waveguide can recognize vapors with a resolution at a low part-per-million level. The investigation found that the sensitivity of the pipe-waveguide sensing scheme is dependent on the vapor absorption strength, which is strongly related to the molecular amount and properties including the dipole moment and mass of a gas molecule.

Specularly-Reflected Wave Guidance of Terahertz Plasmonic Metamaterial Based on the Metal-Wire-Woven Hole Arrays: Functional Design and Application of Transmission Spectral Dips.

Terahertz (THz) plasmonic metamaterial, based on a metal-wire-woven hole array (MWW-HA), is investigated for the distinct power depletion in the transmittance spectrum of 0.1-2 THz, including the reflected waves from metal holes and woven metal wires. Woven metal wires have four orders of power depletion, which perform sharp dips in a transmittance spectrum. However, only the first-order dip at the metal-hole-reflection band dominates specular reflection with a phase retardation of approximately π. The optical path length and metal surface conductivity are modified to study MWW-HA specular reflection. This experimental modification shows that the first order of MWW-HA power depletion is sustainable and sensitively correlated with a bending angle of the woven metal wire. Specularly reflected THz waves are successfully presented in hollow-core pipe wave guidance specified from MWW-HA pipe wall reflectivity.

Highly Transparent and Polarization-Maintained Terahertz Plasmonic Metamaterials Based on Metal-Wire-Woven Hole Arrays: Fundamentals and Characterization of Transmission Spectral Peaks.

Metal-hole-supported terahertz (THz) waves through the structure of a metal-wire-woven hole array (MWW-HA) present high-frequency-passed transmittance spectra of one plasmonic metamaterial with artificial plasmonic frequencies, which are inversely proportional to metal-hole widths. For the transmitted THz waves of MWW-HA, transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) waveguide modes mix within a symmetric metal-hole boundary. THz resonance waves transversely crossing the holes of MWW-HA are experimentally characterized with spectral peaks in the frequency range of 0.1-2 THz that are correlated with aperture sizes, unit-cell-hole widths, metal-wire thicknesses, and wire-bending angles. The metal-hole-transported resonance waves of MWW-HA are dominated by TE waveguide modes instead of TM ones because a hole width of MWW-HA is approximate to the half wavelength of a resonance wave. The round metal edges of the woven metal wires can minimize the effective optical length of a thick metal hole to transmit THz resonance waves, thereby resulting the smallest rotation angle of linear polarization and high transmittance up to 0.94. An MWW-HA structure is therefore reliable for supporting metal-hole resonance waves with low resistance, whereas a metal-slab-perforated hole array cannot achieve the same result.