Embedded Files
3D-Printed Integrated Photonic Devices
3D-Printed Integrated Photonic Devices
Light is a promising signal carrier for future computing, communication, and sensing chips, offering large bandwidths, multiple modalities, low loss, and minimized heat generation. However, as propagating 3D electromagnetic fields, light is difficult to precisely control using 2.5D structures fabricated by conventional semiconductor manufacturing technology.
At PULSE Lab, we develop 3D photonic microdevices for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and fiber optics that enable innovative coupling and sensing strategies. Particularly, we make designs using state-of-the-art wave photonic simulation tools (such as Ansys Lumerical), which are then realized using Multiphoton micro-3D Printing technology.
A 3D optical micro-ring resonator printed on a chip. The ring enables filtering of the target wavelengths across the entire input spectrum. What is special about the device is the slanted out-of-plane bus waveguide that facilitates external fiber coupling. [Huang, P.-H., et al. Nature Communications 14.1 (2023): 3305., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38996-3]
A 3D optical refractive index sensor printed on the tip of an optical fiber. Light injected from the fiber will pass through the cavity formed by the printed suspended plate and the fiber endface and then be reflected back to the fiber, causing interference. The changes in the refractive index of the fluid in the cavity would lead to corresponding shifts in the interference wavelengths, enabling the detection of the composition of the local fluidic mixture. What is special about the device is that it is made of silica glass, enabling operation in aggressive solvents that would kill polymeric devices right away. [Lai, L.-L.*, Huang, P.-H.*, et al. ACS Nano 18.16 (2024): 10788-10797, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c11030]
A 3D polarization optical beam splitter printed on the tip of an optical fiber. It consists of two nanogratings oriented in orthogonal directions, with their boundary aligned to the fiber core. As the simulated profiles show, depending on the polarization of the light injected from the fiber, the output beam would be split and/or deflected to different directions. What is special about the device is that it is miniaturized and directly printed onto the fiber tip, eliminating bulky optics and assembly. [Lai, L.-L.*, Huang, P.-H.*, et al. ACS Nano 18.16 (2024): 10788-10797, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c11030]
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse