Reconfigurable lattice mesh designs for programmable photonic processors

Daniel Pérez; Ivana Gasulla; José Capmany; Richard A. Soref

doi:10.1364/OE.24.012093

Reconfigurable lattice mesh designs for programmable photonic processors

Daniel Pérez, Ivana Gasulla, José Capmany, and Richard A. Soref

Optics Express
Vol. 24,
Issue 11,
pp. 12093-12106
(2016)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.24.012093

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Daniel Pérez, Ivana Gasulla, José Capmany, and Richard A. Soref, "Reconfigurable lattice mesh designs for programmable photonic processors," Opt. Express 24, 12093-12106 (2016)

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Related Topics
Table of Contents Category
- Integrated Optics
Optics & Photonics Topics
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The topics in this list come from the OSA Optics and Photonics Topics applied to this article.
Previously assigned OCIS codes
- Fiber optics links and subsystems (060.2360)
- Radio frequency photonics (060.5625)
- Optoelectronics (130.0250)
- Integrated optics devices (130.3120)

About this Article
History
- Original Manuscript: April 15, 2016
- Revised Manuscript: May 19, 2016
- Manuscript Accepted: May 19, 2016
- Published: May 25, 2016

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Open Access

Abstract

We propose and analyse two novel mesh design geometries for the implementation of tunable optical cores in programmable photonic processors. These geometries are the hexagonal and the triangular lattice. They are compared here to a previously proposed square mesh topology in terms of a series of figures of merit that account for metrics that are relevant to on-chip integration of the mesh. We find that that the hexagonal mesh is the most suitable option of the three considered for the implementation of the reconfigurable optical core in the programmable processor.

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References

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Year
|
Author
|
Publication

Editorial, “Birth of the programmable optical chip,” Nat. Photonics 10, 1 (2016).
J. Capmany and D. Novak, “Microwave photonics combines two worlds,” Nat. Photonics 1(6), 316–330 (2007).
[Crossref]
J. Yao, “Microwave photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol. 27(3), 314–335 (2009).
[Crossref]
J. E. Mitchell, “Integrated wireless backhaul over optical access networks,” J. Lightwave Technol. 32(20), 3373–3382 (2014).
[Crossref]
M. K. Smit, X. Leijtens, H. Ambrosius, E. Bente, J. van der Tol, B. Smalbrugge, T. de Vries, E.-J. Geluk, J. Bolk, R. van Veldhoven, L. Augustin, P. Thijs, D. D’Agostino, H. Rabbani, K. Lawniczuk, S. Stopinski, S. Tahvili, A. Corradi, E. Kleijn, D. Dzibrou, M. Felicetti, E. Bitincka, V. Moskalenko, J. Zhao, R. Santos, G. Gilardi, W. Yao, K. Williams, P. Stabile, P. Kuindersma, J. Pello, S. Bhat, Y. Jiao, D. Heiss, G. Roelkens, M. Wale, P. Firth, F. Soares, N. Grote, M. Schell, H. Debregeas, M. Achouche, J.-L. Gentner, A. Bakker, T. Korthorst, D. Gallagher, A. Dabbs, A. Melloni, F. Morichetti, D. Melati, A. Wonfor, R. Penty, R. Broeke, B. Musk, and D. Robbins, “An introduction to InP-based generic integration technology,” Semicond. Sci. Technol. 29(8), 083001 (2014).
[Crossref]
D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]
J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]
L. Zhuang, C. G. H. Roeloffzen, M. Hoekman, K.-J. Boller, and A. J. Lowery, “Programmable photonic signal processor chip for radiofrequency applications,” Optica 2(10), 854–859 (2015).
[Crossref]
W. Liu, M. Li, R. S. Guzzon, E. J. Norberg, J. S. Parker, M. Lu, L. A. Coldren, and J. Yao, “A fully reconfigurable photonic integrated signal processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(3), 190–195 (2016).
[Crossref]
R. A. Soref, “Mid-infrared 2 × 2 electro-optical switching by silicon and germanium three-waveguide and four-waveguide directional couplers using free-carrier injection,” Photonics Res. 2(5), 102–110 (2014).
[Crossref]
C. G. Roeloffzen, L. Zhuang, C. Taddei, A. Leinse, R. G. Heideman, P. W. van Dijk, R. M. Oldenbeuving, D. A. Marpaung, M. Burla, and K. J. Boller, “Silicon nitride microwave photonic circuits,” Opt. Express 21(19), 22937–22961 (2013).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

2016 (2)

W. Liu, M. Li, R. S. Guzzon, E. J. Norberg, J. S. Parker, M. Lu, L. A. Coldren, and J. Yao, “A fully reconfigurable photonic integrated signal processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(3), 190–195 (2016).
[Crossref]

Editorial, “Birth of the programmable optical chip,” Nat. Photonics 10, 1 (2016).

2015 (3)

J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]

L. Zhuang, C. G. H. Roeloffzen, M. Hoekman, K.-J. Boller, and A. J. Lowery, “Programmable photonic signal processor chip for radiofrequency applications,” Optica 2(10), 854–859 (2015).
[Crossref]

D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

2014 (3)

J. E. Mitchell, “Integrated wireless backhaul over optical access networks,” J. Lightwave Technol. 32(20), 3373–3382 (2014).
[Crossref]

R. A. Soref, “Mid-infrared 2 × 2 electro-optical switching by silicon and germanium three-waveguide and four-waveguide directional couplers using free-carrier injection,” Photonics Res. 2(5), 102–110 (2014).
[Crossref]

M. K. Smit, X. Leijtens, H. Ambrosius, E. Bente, J. van der Tol, B. Smalbrugge, T. de Vries, E.-J. Geluk, J. Bolk, R. van Veldhoven, L. Augustin, P. Thijs, D. D’Agostino, H. Rabbani, K. Lawniczuk, S. Stopinski, S. Tahvili, A. Corradi, E. Kleijn, D. Dzibrou, M. Felicetti, E. Bitincka, V. Moskalenko, J. Zhao, R. Santos, G. Gilardi, W. Yao, K. Williams, P. Stabile, P. Kuindersma, J. Pello, S. Bhat, Y. Jiao, D. Heiss, G. Roelkens, M. Wale, P. Firth, F. Soares, N. Grote, M. Schell, H. Debregeas, M. Achouche, J.-L. Gentner, A. Bakker, T. Korthorst, D. Gallagher, A. Dabbs, A. Melloni, F. Morichetti, D. Melati, A. Wonfor, R. Penty, R. Broeke, B. Musk, and D. Robbins, “An introduction to InP-based generic integration technology,” Semicond. Sci. Technol. 29(8), 083001 (2014).
[Crossref]

2013 (1)

C. G. Roeloffzen, L. Zhuang, C. Taddei, A. Leinse, R. G. Heideman, P. W. van Dijk, R. M. Oldenbeuving, D. A. Marpaung, M. Burla, and K. J. Boller, “Silicon nitride microwave photonic circuits,” Opt. Express 21(19), 22937–22961 (2013).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

2009 (1)

J. Yao, “Microwave photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol. 27(3), 314–335 (2009).
[Crossref]

2007 (1)

J. Capmany and D. Novak, “Microwave photonics combines two worlds,” Nat. Photonics 1(6), 316–330 (2007).
[Crossref]

Achouche, M.

Ambrosius, H.

Augustin, L.

Bakker, A.

Bente, E.

Bhat, S.

Bitincka, E.

Bolk, J.

Boller, K. J.

Boller, K.-J.

Broeke, R.

Burla, M.

Capmany, J.

J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]

D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

J. Capmany and D. Novak, “Microwave photonics combines two worlds,” Nat. Photonics 1(6), 316–330 (2007).
[Crossref]

Coldren, L. A.

Corradi, A.

D’Agostino, D.

Dabbs, A.

de Vries, T.

Debregeas, H.

Dzibrou, D.

Editorial,

Editorial, “Birth of the programmable optical chip,” Nat. Photonics 10, 1 (2016).

Felicetti, M.

Firth, P.

Gallagher, D.

Gasulla, I.

J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]

D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

Geluk, E.-J.

Gentner, J.-L.

Gilardi, G.

Grote, N.

Guzzon, R. S.

Heideman, R. G.

Heiss, D.

Hoekman, M.

Jiao, Y.

Kleijn, E.

Korthorst, T.

Kuindersma, P.

Lawniczuk, K.

Leijtens, X.

Leinse, A.

Li, M.

Liu, W.

Lowery, A. J.

Lu, M.

Marpaung, D. A.

Melati, D.

Melloni, A.

Mitchell, J. E.

J. E. Mitchell, “Integrated wireless backhaul over optical access networks,” J. Lightwave Technol. 32(20), 3373–3382 (2014).
[Crossref]

Morichetti, F.

Moskalenko, V.

Musk, B.

Norberg, E. J.

Novak, D.

J. Capmany and D. Novak, “Microwave photonics combines two worlds,” Nat. Photonics 1(6), 316–330 (2007).
[Crossref]

Oldenbeuving, R. M.

Parker, J. S.

Pello, J.

Penty, R.

Pérez, D.

J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]

D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

Rabbani, H.

Robbins, D.

Roelkens, G.

Roeloffzen, C. G.

Roeloffzen, C. G. H.

Santos, R.

Schell, M.

Smalbrugge, B.

Smit, M. K.

Soares, F.

Soref, R. A.

Stabile, P.

Stopinski, S.

Taddei, C.

Tahvili, S.

Thijs, P.

van der Tol, J.

van Dijk, P. W.

van Veldhoven, R.

Wale, M.

Williams, K.

Wonfor, A.

Yao, J.

J. Yao, “Microwave photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol. 27(3), 314–335 (2009).
[Crossref]

Yao, W.

Zhao, J.

Zhuang, L.

J. Lightwave Technol. (2)

J. Yao, “Microwave photonics,” J. Lightwave Technol. 27(3), 314–335 (2009).
[Crossref]

J. E. Mitchell, “Integrated wireless backhaul over optical access networks,” J. Lightwave Technol. 32(20), 3373–3382 (2014).
[Crossref]

Nat. Photonics (4)

Editorial, “Birth of the programmable optical chip,” Nat. Photonics 10, 1 (2016).

J. Capmany and D. Novak, “Microwave photonics combines two worlds,” Nat. Photonics 1(6), 316–330 (2007).
[Crossref]

J. Capmany, I. Gasulla, and D. Pérez, “Microwave photonics: The programmable processor,” Nat. Photonics 10(1), 6–8 (2015).
[Crossref]

Opt. Express (2)

D. Pérez, I. Gasulla, and J. Capmany, “Software-defined reconfigurable microwave photonics processor,” Opt. Express 23(11), 14640–14654 (2015).
[Crossref] [PubMed]

Optica (1)

Photonics Res. (1)

Semicond. Sci. Technol. (1)

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Fig. 1 Reconfigurable Mesh designs (upper): (a) Hexagonal type, (b) triangular type, (c) square type [8], and their associated interconnections points (bottom).

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Fig. 2 (Upper) Labeled schematic of a general tunable coupler acting as the basic building block of the mesh. The Basic Unit Length (BUL) is illustrated as the sum of the tunable coupler length and the arc length of the access waveguides. (Lower) Particular case of a MZI-based tunable coupler.

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Fig. 3 Optical Ring Resonator (left) and Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (right) configurations over an hexagonal mesh (up) and corresponding light paths (bottom).

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Fig. 4 Optical Ring Resonator (left) and Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (right) configurations over a triangular mesh (up) and corresponding light paths (bottom).

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Fig. 5 Reconfiguration performance vs available maximum value of X expressed as an integer number n of the BUL for the square, triangular and hexagonal meshes. ORR (upper) and MZI (lower) designs.

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Fig. 6 Different mesh types configurated to synthezise cascaded ORRs in different geometries.

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Fig. 7 Access length and angle definition for each mesh: (a) square, (b) hexagonal, (c) triangular.

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Fig. 8 Relation between the BUL of a given mesh design to that of the square mesh as a function of the ratio between the access waveguides and the tunable coupler length.

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Fig. 9 Optical Ring Resonator filters with different cavity lengths that can be implemented in a 5x5 BUL² area using the hexagonal, triangular and square mesh designs. ORR Z means an optical ring resonator filter with cavity length of Z BULs.

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Fig. 10 Spectra of the different ORRs available for each mesh design option. In all the cases the cavity coupler is adjusted to attain critical coupling. Larger and shorter FSR are highlighted with dashed- and dotted-lines, respectively, for each mesh.

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Fig. 11 Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Resonator filters with different path length mismatch that can be implemented in a 5x5 BUL² area using the hexagonal, triangular and square mesh designs. MZI Z means a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer filter with path length mismatch of Z BULs.

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Fig. 12 Spectra of the different MZIs available for each mesh design option. In all the cases the output coupler is 50:50 and the input coupler is adjusted to attain maximal rejection (loss balancing).

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Tables (3)

Table 1 Values for the possible cavity lengths (ORR) and arm length mismatch (MZI) in BUL units for the different mesh designs, n ϵ N {0,1,2,…} for MZIs and n ϵ N {1,2,3,…} for ORRs.

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Table 2 Number of different devices that can be configured for each mesh design

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Table 3 Summary of values for the figures of merit of the different mesh designs

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Equations (4)

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B U L = L_{a c c e s s} + L_{T u n a b l e - C o u p l e r},

I L (d B) = 10 \log_{10} (\frac{{| a_{o u t 1} |}^{2} + {| a_{o u t 2} |}^{2}}{{| a_{i n 1} |}^{2} + {| a_{i n 2} |}^{2}}), {E R_{B a r / C r o s s} (d B) |}_{\begin{array}{l} {| a_{i n 1} |}^{2} = 1 \\ {| a_{i n 2} |}^{2} = 0 \end{array}} = 10 \log_{10} (\frac{{| a_{o u t 2 / 1} |}^{2}}{{| a_{o u t 1 / 2} |}^{2}}) .

Δ ν_{F S R} = \frac{c}{n_{g} X},

L_{a c c e s s (b o t h)} = \frac{2 π R a}{(360 / α)},

	Square	Triangular	Hexagonal
MZI	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{S q} = 4 n$	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{T r} = 3 n$	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{H x} = 2 n$
ORR	$L_{O R R}^{S q} = 4 n$	$L_{O R R}^{T r} = 3 n$	$L_{O R R}^{H x} = {6, 10 + 2 n}$

Figure of Merit	Triangular	Square	Hexagonal
ORR cavity spatial tuning resolution step in BUL units(the lower the better)	3	4	2*The first step has a resolution of 6
MZI arm imbalance spatial tuning resolution step in BUL units(the lower the better)	3	4	2
ORR reconfiguration performance (the higher the better)(for X = 25 BUL)	8	6	9
MZI reconfiguration performance(for X = 25 BUL)	8	6	12
Switching elements per unit area(the lower the better for a fixed value of reconfiguration performance)	3.96	2.40	1.52
Replication Ratio for ORR structures up to 16 BUL cavity length(the higher the better).	1	2.68	1.31
Replication Ratio for MZI structures up to 12 BUL cavity length(the higher the better).	1	3	1.31
Laccess/Laccess square %for a fixed Ra(the lower the better)	+ 33.33%	+ 0.00%	−33.33%
Ra/Rasquare %for a fixed BUL(the higher the better)	−25.00%	+ 0.00%	+ 50.00%

	Square	Triangular	Hexagonal
MZI	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{S q} = 4 n$	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{T r} = 3 n$	$Δ L_{M Z I}^{H x} = 2 n$
ORR	$L_{O R R}^{S q} = 4 n$	$L_{O R R}^{T r} = 3 n$	$L_{O R R}^{H x} = {6, 10 + 2 n}$

Figure of Merit	Triangular	Square	Hexagonal
ORR cavity spatial tuning resolution step in BUL units(the lower the better)	3	4	2*The first step has a resolution of 6
MZI arm imbalance spatial tuning resolution step in BUL units(the lower the better)	3	4	2
ORR reconfiguration performance (the higher the better)(for X = 25 BUL)	8	6	9
MZI reconfiguration performance(for X = 25 BUL)	8	6	12
Switching elements per unit area(the lower the better for a fixed value of reconfiguration performance)	3.96	2.40	1.52
Replication Ratio for ORR structures up to 16 BUL cavity length(the higher the better).	1	2.68	1.31
Replication Ratio for MZI structures up to 12 BUL cavity length(the higher the better).	1	3	1.31
Laccess/Laccess square %for a fixed Ra(the lower the better)	+ 33.33%	+ 0.00%	−33.33%
Ra/Rasquare %for a fixed BUL(the higher the better)	−25.00%	+ 0.00%	+ 50.00%

ORRs				MZIs
LORR (BULs)	Square	Hexagonal	Triangular	∆LMZI (BULs)	Square	Hexagonal	Triangular
3	-	-	1	0	1	1	1
4	1	-	-	1	-	-	-
5	-	-	-	2	-	1	-
6	-	1	2	3	-	-	1
7	-	-	-	4	3	1	-
8	5	-	-	5	-	-	-
9	-	-	6	6	-	1	7
10	-	3	-	7	-	-	-
11	-	-	-	8	11	3	-
12	20	5	8	9	-	-	3
13	-	-	-	10	-	8	-
14	-	11	-	11	-	-	-
15	-	-	15	12	42	10	8
16	60	22	-	-	-	-	-
Total	86	42	32		57	25	19
Replication ratio	2.68	1.31	1		3	1.31	1