M. Li, C. Chidiac, A. Boettcher
DeployX Services, Inc., Virginia, United States
Keywords: photonic integrated circuits, photonic chip printing, tactical edge
We present a new method for rapidly fabricating reconfigurable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) using laser-written phase-change materials, which have the potential to significantly impact defense applications. This technology allows PICs to be created, modified, erased, and recreated quickly without expensive nanofabrication facilities, enabling rapid prototyping and field-reprogrammable optical systems. The photonic chip printer functions by focusing a laser beam on a thin layer of phase-change material, antimony selenide (Sb2Se3), deposited on a silicon-based chip, which is then heated by the laser beam to alter the material between amorphous and crystalline phases to create waveguides for light. This laser-induced phase change is reversible so these chips can also be rewritten and reused many times. For military communications, these printers and the rewritable characteristics of the chips could allow the development of adaptive optical networks that can be reconfigured on-the-fly to enhance security and resilience. The ability to quickly modify PICs could also accelerate the development of advanced LiDAR systems for autonomous military vehicles and drones at the tactical edge. Overall, this PIC fabrication method could provide the military with a powerful new tool for developing next-generation optical and electro-optical systems with enhanced flexibility and capabilities.