21 October 2015

III-V quantum dots and dashes on silicon target efficient 16 x 25Gb/s WDM photonic integrated circuits

The European Union's Seventh Framework Program (EU FP7) three-year-long project SEQUOIA (energy efficient Silicon Emitter using heterogeneous integration of III-V QUantum dOt and quantum dash materIAls) has reported what it says are significant advances in silicon-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs) since its start in October 2013.

The project has made two innovations: the use of novel III-V materials, namely quantum dot (Qdot)- and quantum dash (Qdash)-based materials, and the exploitation of novel photonic device concepts through hybrid III-V/silicon integration.

During the first period the quality of Qdot/Qdash materials was improved significantly, and the University of Kassel has recently demonstrated Qdot lasers with a record bit rate of 34Gb/s in direct modulation. In parallel, Qdot wafers have been successfully bonded onto silicon wafers.

Two types of PIC final demonstrators have been designed: chirp-managed lasers (CMLs) directly modulated at 25Gb/s and a comb laser integrated with cascaded ring resonator modulators. Providing a total capacity of 400Gb/s through the use of 16 wavelength-division multiplex (WDM) channels, these PICs are said to offer better performance at reduced cost and enhanced functionality through the use of new materials and novel integration processes.

With funding of €5m (including €3m from the European Commission), the five-partner, three-country consortium is led by III-V Lab of Paris, France (the joint Alcatel-Lucent, Thales and CEA-Leti industrial research laboratory), which has expertise in indium phosphide (InP) photonics and hybrid integration of III-Vs on silicon. Two German partners, Dortmund-based Innolume GmbH and the University of Kassel, have a track record in materials and III-V optoelectronics. Nanotechnology R&D center CEA-Leti of Grenoble, France is a leading laboratory in silicon photonics, and has competence in both the design and fabrication of silicon PICs. The Technical University of Denmark's DTU Fotonik research institute has a track record in optical communication systems demonstrations. Foton Laboratory at France's University of Rennes 1 has competence in high-capacity optical transmission systems. The teams at both DTU and University of Rennes 1 have demonstrated what is reckoned to be record CML performance.

See related items:

CEA-Leti and III-V lab demo fully integrated silicon photonics transmitter

Tags: CEA-Leti III-V lab Silicon photonics transmitter Innolume Quantum-dot diode lasers

Visit: www.uni-kassel.de/projekte/sequoia/project-infos.html

Visit: www.3-5lab.fr

Visit: www.leti.fr

Visit: www.innolume.com

Visit: www.fotonik.dtu.dk

Visit: www.insa-rennes.fr/en/foton-insa.html