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3D Multiphoton Lithography Adds a New Dimension to Photonic Circuits

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Using 3D multiphoton lithography, a method of 3D printing, researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) demonstrated high-resolution 3D photonic structures capable of guiding light in a spiral and in an air-bridge configuration. The research has direct implications for photonic integrated circuits perceived as planar structures, that is, only able to guide light in a single plane.

The technique overcomes the restriction of top-down exposure as a necessity for realizing PICs, enabling access to the functions availed by the third dimension. 

The researchers additionally demonstrated low-loss 3D waveguide couplers with 1.6-dB fiber-waveguide coupling losses, and 3-dB bandwidth exceeding 60 nm. Current industry standards require labor-intensive packaging for losses around 1 dB. The team demonstrated low losses without requiring any post-processing or post-fabrication.

“Importantly, we were also able to demonstrate error-free 30-Gbit/s NRZ and 56-Gbit/s PAM4 data transmission through these waveguides. This is important because these high-speed testing formats and rates are in alignment with those used in commercial direct-detection transceiver products today,” said Dawn Tan, associate professor at SUTD and principal investigator on the project.

The team managed to derive only small power penalties of 0.7 dB for NRZ (bit error rate [BER] = 10−12) and 1.5 dB for PAM4 (BER = 106) from the devices. The results demonstrate high-speed, error-free optical transmission through the 3D-fabricated waveguides. It also showcases the device’s suitability as low-loss waveguides and optical interconnects.


“Importantly, the 3D quality of these waveguides allows us to exceed the limitations of traditional planar structures. In this way, it is possible to achieve far higher density PICs. The high-resolution, submicron feature sizes are also promising, especially to achieve advanced functions such as spectral filtering, resonator structures, and metasurfaces,” said Hongwei Gao, first author on the work describing the technology and a postdoctoral researcher at SUTD.

“This work demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing in making advanced photonic devices with superior 3D designs in high resolution,” added co-author and SUTD associate professor Hong Yee Low.

In demonstrating high-resolution 3D waveguides capable of transcending the restrictions of light confinement in a single plane, the research has additional applications in optical signal processing and spectroscopy, the researchers reported.

The research was published in Advanced Optical Materials (www.doi.org/10.1002/adom.202070071).


Published: December 2020
Glossary
lithography
Lithography is a key process used in microfabrication and semiconductor manufacturing to create intricate patterns on the surface of substrates, typically silicon wafers. It involves the transfer of a desired pattern onto a photosensitive material called a resist, which is coated onto the substrate. The resist is then selectively exposed to light or other radiation using a mask or reticle that contains the pattern of interest. The lithography process can be broadly categorized into several...
3d printing
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects layer by layer from a digital model. This technology allows the creation of complex and customized structures that would be challenging or impossible with traditional manufacturing methods. The process typically involves the following key steps: Digital design: A three-dimensional digital model of the object is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. This...
Research & TechnologyOpticsFiber Optics & CommunicationsMaterialslithographywaveguidesphotonic integrated circuitsPICAdvanced Optical materials3D multi-photon lithography3d printingSingapore University of Technology and DesignSUTDTech Pulse

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