Description: Structured Materials Industries, Inc. and Cornell University propose to develop high speed integrated photonic switches and WDM for LIDAR applications. The team has recently shown that single mode silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides to have very low propagation losses. This material is an ideal candidate for the propagation and manipulation of optical signals at LIDAR wavelengths (1.06 μm). It is possible to imbue electro-optic (EO) properties to these waveguides using an electro-optic polymer. Such polymers have been demonstrated to have very high switching speeds, where light signals were modulated at frequencies in excess of 1 THz. The program will address the efficient integration of active hybrid materials for externally controlling the silicon nitride photonic structures for the goal of obtaining high speed (< 1 ns) switches. Furthermore, these devices also will have qualities that are attractive to this LIDAR project with their compact size, low power consumption and power efficiency. Solutions to these technical challenges will enable the design of systems of unprecedented performance. This program begins at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2, will advance to TRL 3 at the end of Phase I and products will achieve TRL 6 at the end of Phase II.

Benefits: This knowledge will fit together with other ongoing programs at SMI. Related programs such as this will build on and expand the silicon nano-fabrication photonic technology. In addition to LIDAR applications at 1µm, all of these combined efforts contribute to our long term research and development aims -- to include all of the active and passive optical functions needed to fabricate and commercialize a low power, high bandwidth, high speed, and ultra-small multi-channel wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transponder on a single optoelectronic silicon chip as well as other optical communication components. It also may lead to other photonic IC applications including reconfigurable photonic ICs for high speed signal processing.

These devices will be highly useful for many NASA LIDAR programs including Lidar for Surface Topography (LIST), ASCENDS, and direct-detection LIDAR in general. Also for the use of multiple LIDAR tools on the same laser source to reduce instrument mass for satellite and planetary missions.