ORIONAS Highlights

ACHIEVEMENTS.

IQ modulator & Coherent Receiver electronic-photonic integrated circuits

Fabrication of IQ modulator (IQ-MD) ePIC. The IQ modulator ePIC hosts 45 photonic elements plus SiGe BiCMOS drivers in a silicon area of 12.65 mm2 integrating on-chip the following photonic and O/E functions: a) spot-size conversion for edge coupling to standard SMF, b) variable optical attenuation, c) phase modulation through two nested MZMs, d) MZM high-speed electrical driving and e) thermo-optic tuning.

Fabrication of coherent receiver (Coh-Rx) ePIC. The coherent receiver ePIC hosts 15 photonic elements plus SiGe BiCMOS transimpedance circuitry in a silicon area of 6.14 mm2 integrating on chip the following photonic and O/E functions: a) spot-size conversion for edge coupling to standard SMF, b) signal mixing through 4×4 MMI coupler optical hybrid, c) balanced photo-detection and e) transimpedance amplification.

IQ modulator ePIC
Coherent receiver ePIC
DPSK Transmitter prototype
Coherent receiver prototype

Optical transceiver sub-assemblies

DPSK optical transmitter sub-assembly featuring the assembly of the MZM ePIC with a narrow linewidth DFB laser diode and a fiber array through the use of micro-optics and a glass interposer.

DPSK Rx bread-board featuring the assembly of the DPSK-Rx ePIC with standard ribbon fiber array, ceramic tiles and fan-out PCB.

IQ modulator and Coh-Rx bread-boards featuring the assembly of the IQ-MD ePIC and the Coh-Rx ePIC with standard ribbon fiber array, ceramic tiles and flex PCB circuits.

Highlights of the transceiver BBM testing performed within ORIONAS are:

  • Demonstration edge coupled ePIC to standard SMF with coupling losses < 4 dB.
  • 28 Gb/s DPSK demodulation and detection using the DPSK receiver BBM
  • 20 Gb/s modulation using the IQ modulator BBM
  • 100 Gb/s QPSK coherent detection using the coherent receiver BBM

Compact radiation-resistant fiber pre-amplifier

Design and MAIT of compact radiation resistant high gain optical fiber pre-amplifier built with hi-rel SFF optics, radiation resistant RC-EDF, hi-rel opto-electronics and COTS electronics. The Engineering Model (EM)-level LNOA features the following mechanical specifications:

  • dimensions (LxWxH): 90 x 54 x 15.4 mm
  • credit card footprint: 48.6 cm2
  • mass: 100 grams

In terms of optical performance, the LNOA delivers a typical (1550 nm) small signal gain >45 dB which extends to 57 dB when using a mid stage optical filter. The radiation induced gain drop at 40 krad is >3 dB which was verified through TID testing on the active fibers.

Compact Low-noise optical pre-amplifier
Semiconductor Optical Amplifier prototype

>20 dBm Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

MAIT of booster (>20 dBm) Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) chips using the Semi Insulating Buried Heterostructure (SiBH) process and assembly of the SOAs into compact butterfly packages. The SOA package includes the amplifier chip, TEC elements, the fiber assemblies as well as micro-optics for beam expansion, isolation and collimation within the gold-box module. Two SOAs were assembled into a BBM device which featured the following mechanical specifications:

  • Dimensions: 197 x 120 x 36.25 mm
  • Mass: 413 grams

In terms of optical performance, the SOA was measured to deliver >100 mW saturated output power at 2A of driving current and at a typical wavelength of 1550 nm.

IQ modulator & Coherent Receiver electronic-photonic integrated circuits

Fabrication of IQ modulator (IQ-MD) ePIC. The IQ modulator ePIC hosts 45 photonic elements plus SiGe BiCMOS drivers in a silicon area of 12.65 mm2 integrating on-chip the following photonic and O/E functions: a) spot-size conversion for edge coupling to standard SMF, b) variable optical attenuation, c) phase modulation through two nested MZMs, d) MZM high-speed electrical driving and e) thermo-optic tuning.

Fabrication of coherent receiver (Coh-Rx) ePIC. The coherent receiver ePIC hosts 15 photonic elements plus SiGe BiCMOS transimpedance circuitry in a silicon area of 6.14 mm2 integrating on chip the following photonic and O/E functions: a) spot-size conversion for edge coupling to standard SMF, b) signal mixing through 4×4 MMI coupler optical hybrid, c) balanced photo-detection and e) transimpedance amplification.

IQ modulator ePIC
Coherent receiver ePIC
Coherent receiver prototype

Optical transceiver sub-assemblies

DPSK optical transmitter sub-assembly featuring the assembly of the MZM ePIC with a narrow linewidth DFB laser diode and a fiber array through the use of micro-optics and a glass interposer.

DPSK Rx bread-board featuring the assembly of the DPSK-Rx ePIC with standard ribbon fiber array, ceramic tiles and fan-out PCB.

IQ modulator and Coh-Rx bread-boards featuring the assembly of the IQ-MD ePIC and the Coh-Rx ePIC with standard ribbon fiber array, ceramic tiles and flex PCB circuits.

Highlights of the transceiver BBM testing performed within ORIONAS are:

  • Demonstration edge coupled ePIC to standard SMF with coupling losses < 4 dB.
  • 28 Gb/s DPSK demodulation and detection using the DPSK receiver BBM
  • 20 Gb/s modulation using the IQ modulator BBM
  • 100 Gb/s QPSK coherent detection using the coherent receiver BBM

Compact radiation resistant fiber pre-amplifier

Design and MAIT of compact radiation resistant high gain optical fiber pre-amplifier built with hi-rel SFF optics, radiation resistant RC-EDF, hi-rel opto-electronics and COTS electronics. The Engineering Model (EM)-level LNOA features the following mechanical specifications:

  • dimensions (LxWxH): 90 x 54 x 15.4 mm
  • credit card footprint: 48.6 cm2
  • mass: 100 grams

In terms of optical performance, the LNOA delivers a typical (1550 nm) small signal gain >45 dB which extends to 57 dB when using a mid stage optical filter. The radiation induced gain drop at 40 krad is >3 dB which was verified through TID testing on the active fibers.

Compact Low-noise optical pre-amplifier

>20 dBm Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

MAIT of booster (>20 dBm) Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) chips using the Semi Insulating Buried Heterostructure (SiBH) process and assembly of the SOAs into compact butterfly packages. The SOA package includes the amplifier chip, TEC elements, the fiber assemblies as well as micro-optics for beam expansion, isolation and collimation within the gold-box module. Two SOAs were assembled into a BBM device which featured the following mechanical specifications:

  • Dimensions: 197 x 120 x 36.25 mm
  • Mass: 413 grams

In terms of optical performance, the SOA was measured to deliver >100 mW saturated output power at 2A of driving current and at a typical wavelength of 1550 nm.

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 822002

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