Integrated Silicon Fourier Transform Spectrometer with Broad Bandwidth and Ultra‐High Resolution

Abstract

An ultra‐high resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) realized in silicon photonic platform that can operate with broad band, narrow band as well as a combination of broad band and narrow band signals is reported. The ultra‐high resolution of the spectrometer is achieved by exploiting multiple techniques: a Michelson interferometer (MI) structure to increase the optical path delay (OPD), a hybrid waveguide design to reduce insertion loss, an optimized heater and air trenches to achieve higher thermal efficiency. Moreover, to further increase the OPD of the spectrometer to increase its resolution, a novel multiple interferometers approach is employed which combines balanced MI with N statically imbalanced MIs, thereby increasing the OPD of a single MI by factor of N + 1. An FTS spectrometer consisting of N = 2 such MIs is fabricated and experimentally characterized using unknown broad bandwidth input signal spectra of about 180 nm centered around 1550 nm, a narrow line laser input signal, and a combination of broad and narrow band signals demonstrating spectral resolution of about 0.16 nm.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Mar 03, 2021
Source ID
10.1002/lpor.202000358

Entities

People

  • Ang Li
  • Yeshaiahu Fainman

Organizations

  • ARPA-E
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • National Science Foundation
  • University of California, San Diego

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Spectroscopy.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy