Compact mode converter on SOI based on a polygonal subwavelength grating structure.

In this Letter, we design and experimentally demonstrate compact mode converters with a lightning-like and arrow-like polygonal subwavelength grating (SWG) structure on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform, which can convert the TE0 mode to the TE1 and TE2 modes, respectively. The footprints of the proposed TE0-1 and TE0-2 mode converters are only 4.44 × 1.3 and 5.89 × 1.8 µm2, respectively. The experimental results show the mode converters have a low insertion loss (<1 dB) and a broad bandwidth (>50 nm). The measured cross talks of the TE0-1 and TE0-2 mode converters are -7.2 dB and -10.3 dB, respectively. In addition, the proposed mode converters with the SWG structure have the advantage in fabrication, since only a one-step full-etching process is required.

Photonic convolution accelerator based on a hybrid integrated multi-wavelength laser array by photonic wire bonding for real-time image classification.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a compact and efficient photonic convolution accelerator based on a hybrid integrated multi-wavelength DFB laser array by photonic wire bonding. The photonic convolution accelerator operates at 60.12 GOPS for one 3 × 3 kernel with a convolution window vertical sliding stride of 1 and generates 500 images of real-time image classification. Furthermore, real-time image classification on the MNIST database of handwritten digits with a prediction accuracy of 93.86% is achieved. This work provides a novel, to the best of our knowledge, compact hybrid integration platform to realize the optical convolutional neural networks.

The evolution of indium precipitation in gallium focused ion beam prepared samples of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells under electron beam irradiation.

Gallium ion (Ga+ ) beam damage induced indium (In) precipitation in indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)/indium aluminium arsenide (InAlAs) multiple quantum wells and its corresponding evolution under electron beam irradiation was investigated by valence electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS) and high-angle annular dark-field imaging (HAADF) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Compared with argon ion milling for sample preparation, the heavier projectiles of Ga+ ions pose a risk to trigger In formation in the form of tiny metallic In clusters. These are shown to be sensitive to electron irradiation and can increase in number and size under the electron beam, deteriorating the structure. Our finding reveals the potential risk of formation of In clusters during focused ion beam (FIB) preparation of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well samples and their subsequent growth under STEM-HAADF imaging, where initially invisible In clusters of a few atoms can move and swell during electron beam exposure.

Equivalent circuit model of the traveling wave electrode for lithium niobate thin film Mach-Zehnder modulators.

We propose an equivalent circuit model of the traveling wave electrode for lithium niobate thin film (TFLN) Mach-Zehnder modulators, in which the distributed capacitance and conformal mapping techniques are applied to calculate the microwave refractive index, microwave loss, and characteristic impedance. Their accuracies are verified by comparing with the results of the finite element method, and the relative errors are less than 3.282%, 1.776%, and 5.334%, respectively. The influence of the electrode's structural parameters on the modulation performances is analyzed, and a 3 dB modulation bandwidth around 84 GHz with an 8-mm-long traveling wave electrode is obtained.

Methane gas sensor based on direct absorption spectroscopy and the laser self-heating effect.

In this paper, a methane detection sensor based on direct absorption spectroscopy and the self-heating effect of lasers is proposed, which abandons the traditional method of relying on a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to ensure stable gas concentration detection. The sensor can achieve stable concentration measurement in the temperature range of -10∘ to 40°C without the need for a TEC, which greatly simplifies the structure of the sensor and reduces the cost. The results of gas concentration calibration experiments show that the sensor has a good linear correlation (R 2=0.9993). Long-term continuous detection experiments show that the sensor maintains a relative detection error between -2.667% and 4.3% over the full test temperature range. In addition, signal-to-noise ratio analysis experiments further determine that the minimum detection limit of the sensor for methane gas is 27.33p p m⋅m (1σ). Given its advantages of simple structure, low cost, high accuracy, and stability, this methane detection sensor is well suited for natural gas leakage monitoring in home environments and can also be widely used in industrial safety detection and environmental monitoring applications. This technology provides a cost-effective solution for domestic and industrial methane detection.

Detachable interface toward a low-loss reflow-compatible fiber coupling for co-packaged optics (CPO).

High-density reflow-compatible fiber I/O is one of the challenges for co-packaged optics (CPO). This paper developed a detachable coupling interface based on expanded beam edge coupling, which can be applied for optical coupling between lasers, PICs, and fibers, seamlessly supporting many channels with high efficiency. It comprises a removable fiber connector and a permanent chip/device connector, in which microlens/lens arrays are used for waveguide mode expansion and MT-like connectors are used for position registration. An effective alignment scheme based on beam detection was developed and implemented in an assembly station for building the removable fiber connectors, while the permanent chip/device connector was assembled by active alignment to a pre-made fiber connector mated with a registration connector. Promising results were obtained from the proof-of-concept demonstrations of the coupling from SiP PIC and III/V lasers to fibers using the off-the-shelf lenses and modified MT registration connectors. In both cases, less than 1 dB coupling loss was achieved with an expanded beam size of 160 µm in diameter. Even with a relatively large lens offset of ∼35 µm, the detachable fiber array connectors showed good interchangeability. Such a coupling interface is expected to be solder-reflow compatible by replacing the plastic registration connectors with ceramic ones, making it a promising candidate for the solution to CPO fiber I/O.

Study of resonant mode coupling in the transverse-mode-conversion based resonator with an anti-symmetric nanobeam Bragg reflector.

The traveling-wave like Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonators based on transverse-mode-conversion have been extensively studied as on-chip filters. However, the incomplete transverse mode conversion will lead to the coupling between two degenerated resonant modes, which brings additional loss and may further induce the resonance splitting. In this paper, we take the transverse-mode-conversion based resonator with anti-symmetric nanobeam Bragg reflector as an example and study the resonant mode coupling in both the direct-coupled and side-coupled resonators. The coupled mode equations are used to model the incomplete transverse mode conversion of Bragg reflector. The resonant mode coupling can be effectively suppressed by carefully designing the phase shifter length and adding the tapered holes. The insertion loss of less than -1 dB can be achieved in the simulation using the two methods. This work is believed to benefit the design of mode-conversion based resonators with low insertion loss and non-splitting line shape.

Hybrid photonic deep convolutional residual spiking neural networks for text classification.

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) offer powerful computation capability due to its event-driven nature and temporal processing. However, it is still limited to shallow structure and simple tasks due to the training difficulty. In this work, we propose a deep convolutional residual spiking neural network (DCRSNN) for text classification tasks. In the DCRSNN, the feature extraction is achieved via a convolution SNN with residual connection, using the surrogate gradient direct training technique. Classification is performed by a fully-connected network. We also suggest a hybrid photonic DCRSNN, in which photonic SNNs are used for classification with a converted training method. The accuracy of hard and soft reset methods, as well as three different surrogate functions, were evaluated and compared across four different datasets. Results indicated a maximum accuracy of 76.36% for MR, 91.03% for AG News, 88.06% for IMDB and 93.99% for Yelp review polarity. Soft reset methods used in the deep convolutional SNN yielded slightly better accuracy than their hard reset counterparts. We also considered the effects of different pooling methods and observation time windows and found that the convergence accuracy achieved by convolutional SNNs was comparable to that of convolutional neural networks under the same conditions. Moreover, the hybrid photonic DCRSNN also shows comparable testing accuracy. This work provides new insights into extending the SNN applications in the field of text classification and natural language processing, which is interesting for the resources-restrained scenarios.

Neuromorphic convolution with a spiking DFB-SA laser neuron based on rate coding.

We propose a neuromorphic convolution system using a photonic integrated distributed feedback laser with a saturable absorber (DFB-SA) as a photonic spiking neuron. The experiments reveal that the DFB-SA laser can encode different stimulus intensities at different frequencies, similar to biological neurons. Based on this property, optical inputs are encoded into rectangular pulses of varying intensities and injected into the DFB-SA laser, enabling the convolution results to be represented by the firing rate of the photonic spiking neuron. Both experimental and numerical results show that the binary convolution is successfully achieved based on the rate-encoding properties of a single DFB-SA laser neuron. Furthermore, we numerically predict 4-channel quadratic convolution and accomplish MNIST handwritten digit classification using a spiking DFB-SA laser neuron model with rate coding. This work provides a novel approach for convolution computation, indicating the potential of integrating DFB-SA laser into future photonics spiking neural networks.

High-power tapered two-section distributed feedback laser based on a chirped sampled grating.

We propose and theoretically study a two-section high-power distributed feedback (DFB) laser with three equivalent phase shifts (3EPSs). A tapered waveguide with a chirped sampled grating is introduced to amplify the output power and keep a stable single-mode operation. The simulation exhibits the maximum output power and side mode suppression ratio of a 1200 µm length two-section DFB laser as high as 306.5 mW and 40 dB, respectively. Compared with traditional DFB lasers, the proposed laser has a higher output power, which may benefit wavelength division multiplexing transmission systems, gas sensors, and large-scale silicon photonics.

Highly sensitive temperature and refractive index sensor based on no-core fiber cascaded with a balloon-shaped bent single-mode fiber.

A highly sensitive temperature and refractive index (RI) sensor based on no-core fiber (NCF) cascaded with a balloon-shaped bent single-mode fiber (BSBSF) is proposed and demonstrated. The NCF can excite higher-order modes which will be concentrated and transmitted into the BSBSF due to the characteristic of self-imaging effect. The BSBSF has an excellent temperature performance due to the high thermo-optical coefficient and thermal expansion coefficient of the polymer coating. The NCF and BSBSF are both conducive to the excitation of higher-order modes, which induces the sensitivity of the sensor with an efficiency improvement. The experimental results show that the maximum temperature sensitivity is -3.19n m/ ∘ C in the range of 22°C-83°C, which is the highest temperature sensitivity in the cascaded BSBSF structure to our best knowledge. In addition, the maximum RI sensitivity is 232.16 nm/RIU when the RI changes from 1.3234 to 1.3512. Compared with other cascaded BSBSF structures, this sensor has a higher temperature sensitivity and can be applicated in the prospects of food, biology, and environmental monitoring.

Design of two-dimensional sampled Bragg grating for a curved waveguide.

Due to the ability of changing light propagation path direction, curved waveguide Bragg grating (CWG) plays an important role in photonic integrated circuits. In this paper, we proposed a cascaded sampled Bragg grating on tilted waveguide (CSBG-TW) structure to equivalently realize CWG. As an example, by designing two-dimensional (2D) sampled gratings, the direction of +1st sub-grating vector in CSBG-TW can be changed. Then if a curved waveguide is divided into several sections of tilted waveguide, we can keep the grating direction being always parallel to the longitudinal direction of each section of tilted waveguide, while the basic grating is uniform. Hence, the required CWG can be equivalently realized, and the light responses such as reflection Bragg wavelength shift and backward mode convert caused by the tilted grating in curved waveguide can be compensated for. The results show that the sampling structures of CSBG-TW is micro-scale and the difference between reflection intensity between the CSBG-TW with four section tilted waveguide and CWG as design target is less than 0.1 dB. Compared with CWG, the CSBG-TW allows convenient holographic exposure and the wavelength can be accurately controlled. Therefore, the CSBG-TW can be used in various photonic integrated devices that require changing propagation paths.

Experimental demonstration of a photonic convolutional accelerator based on a monolithically integrated multi-wavelength distributed feedback laser.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a simple and energy-efficient photonic convolutional accelerator based on a monolithically integrated multi-wavelength distributed feedback semiconductor laser using the superimposed sampled Bragg grating structure. The photonic convolutional accelerator operates at 44.48 GOPS for one 2 × 2 kernel with a convolutional window vertical sliding stride of 2 and generates 100 images of real-time recognition. Furthermore, a real-time recognition task on the MNIST database of handwritten digits with a prediction accuracy of 84% is achieved. This work provides a compact and low-cost way to realize photonic convolutional neural networks.

All-optical gain optoelectronic oscillator based on a dual-frequency integrated semiconductor laser: potential to break the bandwidth limitation in the traditional OEO configuration.

A novel photonic method, to the best of our knowledge, to generate high-frequency micro/millimeter-wave signals based on the optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) with all-optical gain is proposed in this paper. The core device is the monolithically integrated dual-frequency semiconductor laser (MI-DFSL), in which the two DFB laser sections are simultaneously fabricated on one chip. Attributing to the combined impact of the photon-photon resonance effect and the sideband amplification injection locking effect, one widely tunable microwave photonic filter with a high Q value and narrow 3-dB bandwidth can be realized. In this case, the generated microwave signals would largely break the limitation in bandwidth once making full use of the optical amplifier to replace the narrow-band electrical amplifiers in traditional OEO configuration to provide the necessary gain. No additional high-speed external modulator, high-frequency electrical bandpass filters or multi-stage electrical amplifiers are required, highly simplifying the framework and reducing the power consumption. Moreover, this simple and compact structure has the potential to be developed for photonic integration. In the current proof-of-concept experiment, microwave signals with wide tuning ranges from 14.2 GHz to 25.2 GHz are realized. The SSB phase noises in all tuning range are below -103.77 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz and the best signal of the -106.363 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz is achieved at the frequency of 17.2 GHz.

Multi-tip edge coupler for integration of a distributed feedback semiconductor laser with a thin-film lithium niobate modulator.

Lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) has been emerging as a popular integration platform for optical communications and microwave photonics. An edge coupler with high coupling efficiency, wide bandwidth, high fabrication and misalignment tolerance, as well as a small footprint is essential to couple light in or out of the LNOI chip. Some edge couplers have been demonstrated to realize fiber-to-chip coupling in the last few years, but the coupling with distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser is rarely studied. In this paper, we propose a multi-tip edge coupler with three tips to reduce the mode size mismatch between the LNOI waveguide and the DFB laser. The tilted sidewall, fabrication tolerance, misalignment tolerance, and facet reflection due to the effective index mismatch are discussed. It shows that the proposed multi-tip edge coupler can be practically used in the production of effective LNOI integrated chips.

Effect of external mismatch and internal mismatch caused by pointing error on performances of space chaos laser communication system.

In order to evaluate the effect of pointing error on space chaos laser communication system, we conduct bit error rate (BER) analysis with external mismatch and internal mismatch caused by pointing error. Based on BER formulae, numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the effect of external and internal mismatches on performance of the system under different boresight and jitter. Our results indicate that jitter will affect BER more than boresight and internal mismatch will affect the performance of system more than external mismatch. These results are significant for optimizing space chaos laser communication system design.

Confidentiality-enhanced chaotic optical communication system with variable RF amplifier gain.

To solve the security problem of information transmission, we add a more complex key of variable RF amplifier gain to enhance the confidentiality of the chaotic optical communication system. In the system, the RF amplifier gain is variable. The numerical results indicate that the bit error rate of the eavesdropper is much higher than that of the authorized receiver. And the eavesdropper cannot decrease the BER by decreasing the mismatch of other parameters in the electro-optic oscillator gain. Such system can be used to realize communication with high level of privacy in the future.

Tunable hybridization induced transparency for efficient terahertz sensing.

Hybridization induced transparency (HIT) resulting from the coupling between the material absorption resonance and the artificial structure (metamaterial) resonance provides an effective means of enhancing the sensitivity in the terahertz spectroscopic technique-based sensing applications. However, the application of this method is limited by the versatility to the samples with different volumes, because the samples usually have a refractive index larger than unity and their presence with different thicknesses will lead to a shift of the structure resonance, mismatching the material absorption. In this work, we demonstrate that by using InSb coupled rod structures, whose electromagnetic response in the terahertz band can be easily controlled by using ambient parameters like the temperature or magnetic field, the HIT effect can be easily tuned so that without the needs to change the rod geometry, one can realize efficient terahertz sensing with different sample thickness.

On-chip mode converter based on two cascaded Bragg gratings.

We propose an on-chip mode converter via two cascaded Bragg reflection processes. A forward conversion between two guided modes can be achieved with the aid of an additional mode. The proposed structure is theoretically studied and simulated via the rigorous three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) method. The bandwidth and central wavelength of the proposed mode converter can be adjusted according to our theoretical analysis and simulation results. By applying the similar design approaches as fiber Bragg gratings, conversion spectra with different shapes can be obtained. As an example, several mode converters with bandpass and sidelobe-reduced spectra are designed. We also investigate and verify the mode conversion by experiment. Therefore, the proposed method may pave a new path for the mode converters with desired conversion spectra.

Simple frequency-tunable optoelectronic oscillator using integrated multi-section distributed feedback semiconductor laser.

A novel approach to realizing an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on an integrated multi-section (IMS) distributed feedback (DFB) laser is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Our scheme adopts the method of direct modulation and a built-in microwave photonic filter (MPF), making the structure simpler and more flexible than an external modulator and electrical bandpass filter (EBPF). The IMS-DFB laser, which can overcome the drawbacks of using discrete lasers, is the key device in the scheme. Further, the two DFB sections, which are fabricated by Reconstruction Equivalent Chirp (REC) technique, are injected mutually. The SSB phase noise of the generated signal at the frequency of 20.3 GHz is -115.3 dBc/Hz@10kHz and -92.9 dBc/Hz@1kHz. The sidemode suppression ratio (SMSR) is 60.94 dB, which is a 40 dB improvement over a single loop. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the phase noise improves about 8 dB at the frequency offset of 1 kHz, when employing 13 km and 5.4 km fibers as the dual loop. The simple and compact structure, which consists of an IMS-DFB laser with high wavelength controlling accuracy and low process requirement, is a promising development for OEO integration.