3D integration enables ultralow-noise isolator-free lasers in silicon photonics

, photonic integrated circuits are still considered inferior solutions despite their advantages in size, weight, power consumption and cost. Such high-precision and highly coherent applications favour ultralow-noise laser sources to be integrated with other photonic components in a compact and robustly aligned format-that is, on a single chip-for photonic integrated circuits to replace bulk optics and fibres. There are two major issues preventing the realization of such envisioned photonic integrated circuits: the high phase noise of semiconductor lasers and the difficulty of integrating optical isolators directly on-chip. Here we challenge this convention by leveraging three-dimensional integration that…

• DA
  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

  Awards: HR0011-20-2-0044, HR0011-22-2-0009
• UO
  University of California, Santa Barbara
• AR
  Advanced Research Projects Agency