Harnessing diverse hybrid integration for bridging trans-scale multi-dimensional fiber-chip data transmission and...

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Communications
• Integrated Photonics
• Data Transmission Technologies

Background:

• Optical communications are crucial for high-speed data transmission, forming the backbone of the internet.
• A significant challenge, termed the 'digital divide,' exists between high-capacity fiber optic transmission and lower-speed data processing at network nodes.
• Bridging this gap is essential for the continued advancement of optical communication systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a trans-scale architecture for high-capacity data transmission and processing.
• To overcome the capacity limitations between fiber optic links and chip-scale devices.
• To enable seamless integration of data transmission and processing in next-generation optical networks.

Main Methods:

• Developed a hybrid integrated coupler combining a 3D silica fs-laser direct writing photonic chip and a 2D silicon photonic integrated circuit.
• Constructed a multi-dimensional fiber-chip system utilizing a large-scale silicon reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) with over 2000 elements.
• Demonstrated trans-scale data transmission and processing capabilities.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-capacity bridging between few-mode fiber and silicon multimode waveguides.
• Enabled 192-channel (3 modes, 2 polarizations, 32 wavelengths) data transmission.
• Demonstrated a total data throughput of 20 Tbit/s for trans-scale multi-dimensional data transmission and processing.

Conclusions:

• The developed trans-scale architecture effectively bridges the capacity gap between fiber optics and silicon photonics.
• This approach facilitates high-capacity data transmission and processing, crucial for future optical communication systems.
• The demonstrated system offers a superior solution for multi-dimensional data handling in next-generation optical networks.