Silicon Photonics, Optical Phased Arrays, and LiDAR

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Abstract: We review the development of silicon photonics and its impact on communications, nonlinear optics, and optical phased arrays.  From on-chip lasers to <1fJ/bit modulators, highly efficient nonlinear frequency conversion and large-scale optical phased arrays, silicon photonics impact is only just beginning to be felt. Here, we present on a decade of work in the field of silicon photonics which led to the creation of AIM Photonics.  We then consider optical phased arrays in general, future application to displays, and the potential impact of silicon photonics on the emerging solid-state LiDAR market.  Starting from the LiDAR equation, we review the noise performance of phased array LiDAR with direct versus coherent detection in light of automotive requirements.  In view of these considerations, we discuss the current challenges, opportunities, and advantages of chip-scale optical phased array based LiDAR.  The limits of current silicon photonic device performance and considerations of electrical drive and control of large-scale optical phased arrays will be presented.  Finally, recent results on coherent silicon optical phased array based LiDAR chips will be discussed.   
 
Bio: Michael R. Watts received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University in 1996. He then joined Draper Laboratory as a Member of Technical Staff in their Fiber Optics Group. In 1999 he became a Draper Fellow and received his SM and PhD degrees from MIT in 2001 and 2005, respectively. In 2005 he joined Sandia National Labs where he was a Principal Member of Technical Staff and led their silicon photonics development. In 2009 he received an R&D100 Award for work in ultralow power microphotonic modulators and switches. In 2010 he returned to MIT where he is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department (EECS). Professor Watts' research focuses on photonic microsystems for low-power communications, sensing, and microwave-photonics applications. In 2012, Prof. Watts founded Analog Photonics, where he currently serves as CEO, and is developing chip-scale optical phased array based LiDAR. In 2015 the silicon photonics platform Prof. Watts had developed with SUNY Albany (CNSE) led to the creation of AIM Photonics, a $600M public-private partnership, to which Dr. Watts was named to and currently serves as the Chief Technical Officer (CTO).  Prof. Watts holds numerous patents and has authored or co-authored over 200 journal and conference publications and is a member of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the IEEE.