Tunable Silicon Transmitter for Wide Wavelength Range Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) Avionic Networks Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-034 Topic Title: Tunable Silicon Transmitter for Wide Wavelength Range Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) Avionic Networks Proposal No.: N091-034-1767 Firm: Aurrion LLC 3914 Via Lucero, Unit G Santa Barbara, California 93110 Contact: Gregory Fish Phone: (805) 455-6166 Web Site: www.aurrion.com Abstract: The goal of this project is to design a widely tunable silicon transmitter for fiber optic communications for avionic applications. By utilizing a silicon photonics platform pioneered at the University of California at Santa Barbara and now developed further at Aurrion LLC, we are able to combine micro-ring resonators fabricated in silicon in conjunction with III-V gain and modulation elements to create a tunable transmitter that can span the entire gain spectrum of a given quantum well structure. In addition, by quantum well intermixing (QWI) in select areas of the III-V material the gain peak can be shifted to provide a bank of 3 to 4 tunable lasers that cover a 100 nm spectral range and to create electro absorption modulators on a single substrate. Aurrion has experience in fabricating lasers, SOA amplifiers, and photo detectors in partnership with high volume Si foundries (Intel) so that these components can be fabricated at greatly reduced cost on a high volume CMOS line. The cost reductions possible with this approach could revolutionize optoelectronics and provide innovative photonic components that cannot be realized with existing stand alone III-V or Si photonic technology. Benefits: Photonic links can greatly reduce the size, weight and cost of existing copper solutions, and increase the distances that signals can be sent without significant loss or dispersion. However, despite the gains provided by the optical fiber, photonic links have not always been cost effective or robust compared to copper based links due to the expensive and bulky transmit and receive (Tx/Rx) components required to light the link. We propose to develop a silicon based solutions for an optical transceiver that is substantially cheaper than existing solutions, and has a significantly reduced size and weight as a result of the photonic integration. Return