Silicon based on-chip optical phased arrays are an enabling technology to achieving agile and compact large angle beam steering. In this work, a single layer array is presented, and approaches to multilayer 3D photonic integration for achieving a 2D array are also discussed. Finally, two dimensional optical beam steering is achieved using both thermo-optic and wavelength tuning. Various structures are considered as an alternative to the conventionally used shallow etched surface gratings to achieve narrow beam widths in the far field along with low switching power. The corrugated waveguide interspersed with 2D photonic crystal for crosstalk suppression is presented as a novel structure for coupling to free space that can provide lithographically defined index contrast in a single fabrication step, along with the smallest beam widths presented to date, at 0.25°. In addition, a polysilicon overlay with an oxide etch stop layer on top of a silicon waveguide is also presented as a grating coupler that achieves narrow far field beam widths. With this structure, two dimensional steering of 20° X 15° is demonstrated with a 16 element optical phased array, with a beam width of 1.2° X 0.4° and maximum power consumption of 20mW per channel. / text

Aiming to reduce research and development times in the field of silicon photonics, this paper presents a method for automatized device testing. Focus lies on automatic optical coupling between the grating couplers on a chip and optical fibers and efficient switching between devices when performing laboratory tests on silicon photonic chips. A lab setup with high precision motorized stages has been built and an algorithm for finding the best optical coupling between fiber and chip, based on the light distribution properties of the fiber, has been implemented. The project results shows that, while these methods have the potential of considerable time savings, further testing is needed.

This thesis presents the development of integrated silicon photonic devices. These devices are compatible with the present and near future CMOS technology. High-khorizontal grating couplers and waveguides are proposed. This work consists of simulations and device design, as well as the layout for the fabrication process, device fabrication, process development, characterization instrument development and electro-optical characterizations. The work demonstrates an alternative solution to costly silicon-on-insulator photonics. The proposed solution uses bulk silicon wafers and thin film deposited waveguides. Back-end deposited horizontal slot grating couplers and waveguides are realized by multi-layers of amorphous silicon and high-k materials. The achievements of this work include: A theoretical study of fully etched slot grating couplers with Al2O3, HfO2 and AIN, an optical study of the high-k films with spectroscopic ellipsometry, an experimental demonstration of fully etched SiO2 single slot grating couplers and double slot Al2O3 grating couplers, a practical demonstration of horizontal double slot high-k waveguides, partially etched Al2O3 single slot grating couplers, a study of a scheme for integration of the double slot Al2O3  waveguides with selectively grown germanium PIN photodetectors, realization of test chips for the integrated germanium photodetectors, and study of integration with graphene photodetectors through embedding the graphene into a high-k slot layer. From an application point of view, these high-k slot waveguides add more functionality to the current silicon photonics. The presented devices can be used for low cost photonics applications. Also alternative optical materials can be used in the context of this photonics platform. With the robust design, the grating couplers result in improved yield and a more cost effective solution is realized for integration of the waveguides with the germanium and graphene photodetectors. / <p>QC 20141114</p>

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Duas contribuiÃÃes caracteristicamente distintas, nÃo obstante correlacionÃveis num mesmo sistema de telecomunicaÃÃo, sÃo apresentadas. A primeira versa sobre antenas ressoadoras constituÃdas por novas cerÃmicas dielÃtricas à base de Fe2O3. Os materiais desenvolvidos foram caracterizados na faixa de micro-ondas. Tratam-se de dielÃtricos com baixa permissividade relativa, baixa tangente de perda, e, no caso das amostras monofÃsicas, com coeficiente de temperatura na frequÃncia de ressonÃncia negativo. Posteriormente, as antenas ressoadoras dielÃtricas de geometria cilÃndrica (CDRAs) suportadas em plano de terra retangular e alimentadas por sonda monopolar sÃo analisadas segundo critÃrios de desempenho de irradiaÃÃo, quais sejam: frequÃncia de ressonÃncia, impedÃncia de entrada, largura de banda e padrÃes de irradiaÃÃo. AlÃm de experimentaÃÃo, o seu estudo envolveu procedimento computacional, no que foi promovida a comparaÃÃo de resultados. O mÃtodo dos elementos finitos, no qual està baseado o programa comercial empregado, foi utilizado para anÃlise destas antenas. Resulta que para maiores valores de permissividade relativa de uma amostra, menores sÃo a frequÃncia em que a mesma ressoa e a sua largura de banda. Ainda, foi observado satisfatÃrio casamento de impedÃncia e padrÃes de irradiaÃÃo "broadside", o que candidata os novos materiais desenvolvidos a esta importante aplicaÃÃo. Adicionalmente, mediante empilhamento dos protÃtipos monofÃsicos examinados, foi verificada a remodelagem da largura de banda em relaÃÃo Ãs contrapartidas individuais, provavelmente devido à excitaÃÃo de modos de ordem elevada das CDRAs. A segunda contribuiÃÃo està enfocada no contexto dos guias de ondas dielÃtricos operando em frequÃncias Ãpticas. Neste cenÃrio, sÃo investigados acopladores refletores de Bragg a fibra (FBGCs), estruturas resultantes da combinaÃÃo de dois dispositivos reconhecidamente versÃteis e de ampla aplicaÃÃo: redes de Bragg e acopladores direcionais. Foram apreciados dois estudos de caso numÃricos nos quais se fez promover a interaÃÃo de sinais Ãpticos com as estruturas propostas. Na medida em que descreve com satisfatÃria precisÃo as propriedades Ãpticas dos dispositivos de interesse, o modelo matemÃtico empregado à baseado na teoria dos modos acoplados. O tratamento numÃrico à realizado mediante codificaÃÃo, em linguagem de programaÃÃo FORTRAN, de um algoritmo preditivo-corretor. Considerando regimes pulsados em termos da potÃncia operacional, o problema foi analisado no domÃnio da frequÃncia e, sobretudo, no domÃnio do tempo. Em condiÃÃes especÃficas, a possibilidade de realizaÃÃo da extraÃÃo, reconfiguraÃÃo e comutaÃÃo de pulsos, exemplos de funÃÃes essenciais ao processamento totalmente Ãptico, reforÃam a importÃncia de tais estruturas hÃbridas. / Two heterogeneous contributions to modern communication systems â although fully possible to be correlated â are presented. The first one deals with resonant antennas consisting of new dielectric ceramics based on Fe2O3. These materials characterized at microwave frequency range possess low relative permittivity, low loss tangent and, concerned with the monophasic samples, negative temperature coefficient of resonant frequency. Subsequently, the cylindrical dielectric resonator antennas (CDRAs) supported on rectangular ground plane and fed by monopole are analyzed according to the following radiation performance criteria: resonant frequency, input impedance, bandwidth and radiation patterns. Besides experimentation, the study involved computational procedure, so that the results of both can be compared. A commercial software based on the finite element method was employed to examine the CDRAs. It follows that as higher is the permittivity of a material, the lower are the frequency at which it resonates as well as its bandwidth. Satisfactory impedance matching and broadside radiation patterns are observed, what enables the materials investigated to this relevant application. Additionally, the stacking of the monophasic CDRAs prototypes resulted in bandwidth enhancement, presumably due to their excited high order modes. The second contribution focuses on dielectric waveguides operating at optical frequencies, being fiber Bragg grating couplers (FBGCs) investigated in this scenario. Indeed, they result from a combination of two versatile and widely applied devices: fiber Bragg gratings and directional couplers. Two numerical case studies related to the interaction between optical signals and structures were performed. The theoretical model observed is based on the coupled mode theory since it provides a satisfactorily accurate description of the devices optical properties. By the way, the theoretical model is coded in FORTRAN programming language according to a predictor-corrector algorithm. In terms of operational power levels, analyses are carried out in frequency and (mainly) time domains. Under specific conditions, the capability of the extraction, reshaping and switching of pulses â examples of essential functions for all-optical processing â reinforces the importance of such hybrid structures.