Description: We are proposing to develop a photonic integrated circuit for implementing a reusable delay line arrayed waveguide gratings (RDL-AWG) on a Si3N4/SiO2 platform for use as miniature spectrometers with high resolution (resolving power R > 10,000) and high dynamic range (> 4 orders of magnitude) in the 1.6 to 2.0 um band for fire detection. In Phase I of this proposal, an integrated high spectral resolving power (R > 10,000), low cross-talk level (< 40 dB) RDL-AWG miniature spectrometer on a Si3N4/SiO2 platform will be designed, optimized, fabricated and characterized. It will be followed by a Phase II proposal for designing a wide operational bandwidth (1.6 to 2.0 um wavelength) RDL-AWG miniature spectrometer, with excellent performance across the desired bandwidth. Integration on a chip reduces the size, weight, power (SWaP) and cost, and increases the stability and reliability of astronomical spectrographs. The future chip size reduction by reusing delay line addresses several issues related to integrated photonic sensors, in particular, better phase control which leads to high resolving power and high dynamic range spectrographs.

Benefits: Miniature spectrometers with high resolution (resolving power >10k) and high dynamic range (>4 orders of magnitude) in the 1.6 to 2.0 µm band for fire detection.

A successful completion of Phases I and II would allow the Company to claim to have realized an integrated spectrometer.Spectrometers are used in physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, drug discovery, food industry, agriculture, healthcare, forensic science, environmental testing, and consumer applications.