All Positions

Research
Optical physics

Integrated photonic circuits

DC-47
CentraleSupélec and Macquarie
Metz (France) and Sydney (Australia)

Host organizations

Hiring Institution
CentraleSupélec

PhD-Awarding Institutions
CentraleSupélec
Macquarie University (MQ)

Proposed projects

Option 1

All-optical interconnects

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) offer a potential solution to overcome many of the limitations that are inherent to electronic circuits. Given the ever increasing demand for bandwidth, the development of fibre-coupled devices for all-optical telecommunication is therefore a highly active field of research [1].
In collaboration with the company Modular Photonics, this project will investigate the design and the fabrication of complex waveguiding structures for all-optical information processing, in particular 1:N splitters for optical interconnect applications. Very recently, researchers from CentraleSupélec have demonstrated that fully controllable multichannel waveguides can be induced in photorefractive materials by counterpropagating Bessel beams [2]. The proposed project will build on this work with the ultimate aim of demonstrating a functional device. As a complementary technique, the femtosecond laser direct-write method can be used to fabricate three-dimensional waveguiding structures in transparent dielctrics [3]. Very recently, researchers from Macquarie University have developed the first designer glass specifically optimised for that purpose [4]. As part of this project, optical interconnects will also be designed and fabricated in this glass and the advatages and limitations of both approaches will be analysed.
[1] P. Minzioni et al.: “Roadmap on all-optical processing”, J. Opt. 21, 063001 (2019)
[2] Y. Chai et al.: “Fully controllable multichannel waveguides induced by counterpropagating Bessel beams”, Scientific Reports 12, 17566 (2022)
[3] R.R. Gattass et al.: “Femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent materials”, Nature Photonics 2, 219 (2008)
[4] T.T. Fernandez et al.: “Designer glasses—Future of photonic device platforms”, Advanced Functional Materials 32, 2103103 (2022)

Option 2

Mode-selective optical chips

With the ever growing Internet data demand, single-mode optical fibers are rapidly approaching their capacity limit. Therefore in recent years significant research effort has been put into space-division multiplexing for scaling the transmission capacities of optical communication networks. Space-division multiplexing (SDM) refers to establishing multiple data channels within the cross-section of a single optical fiber [1].
In collaboration with the company Modular Photonics, this project will investigate the design and the fabrication of three-dimensional mode-selective optical components via two complementary techniques:
1) In a photorefractive material, an incident light beam excites free charge carriers, which then create a space-charge field, this modifying the refractive index distribution through the Pockels effect in the medium. Utilising mutiple Bessel or Airy beams, complex waveguiding structures can thus be realised [2].
2) If femtosecond laser pulses are tightly focused into a transparent dielectric material, nonlinear absorption of the photon energy can result in a permanent and highly localised modification of the refractive index, thus providing the basis for photonc device fabrication via the femtosecond laser direct-write technique [3].
[1] D. J. Richardson: “Filling the light pipe”, Science 330, 327 (2010)
[2] Y. Chai et al.: “Fully controllable multichannel waveguides induced by counterpropagating Bessel beams”, Scientific Reports 12, 17566 (2022)
[3] T.T. Fernandez et al.: “Designer glasses—Future of photonic device platforms”, Advanced Functional Materials 32, 2103103 (2022)

Option 3

Photonic integrated circuits

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) offer a potential solution to overcome many of the limitations that are inherent to electronic circuits. Given the ever increasing demand for bandwidth, the development of fibre-coupled devices for all-optical telecommunication is therefore a highly active field of research [1].
Very recently, researchers from CentraleSupélec have demonstrated that fully controllable multichannel waveguides can be induced in photorefractive materials by counterpropagating Bessel beams [2]. The integrated photonics group at Macquarie University on the other hand is amongst the world-leaders in the fabrication of three-dimensional fibre-coupled photonic devices via the femtosecond laser direct-write technique [3].
In collaboration with the company Modular Photonics, this project will investigate the design and the fabrication of complex hybrid devices for all-optical information processing in photorefractive materials like lithium niobate by combining both techniques for the first time. It is envisaged that the superposition of non-diffracting shape-preserving beams like Airy and Bessel beams will create a photo-induced structure that will then be modified via femtosecond laser light-matter interaction.
[1] P. Minzioni et al.: “Roadmap on all-optical processing”, J. Opt. 21, 063001 (2019)
[2] Y. Chai et al.: “Fully controllable multichannel waveguides induced by counterpropagating Bessel beams”, Scientific Reports 12, 17566 (2022)
[3] T.T. Fernandez et al.: “Ultrafast laser inscribed waveguides in tailored fluoride glasses: an enabling technology for mid-infrared integrated photonics devices”, Scientific Reports 12, 1 (2022)

Research Areas

Photonics