Title:  Radiation Effects in Silicon-Based Integrated Photonics

Committee: 

Dr. Cressler,         

Dr. Ralph, Chair

Dr. Bassiri-Gharb

Abstract:

The objective of the proposed research is to understand radiation effects in silicon-based integrated photonics (PICs). PICs have attracted great interest for space, defense, and basic research applications for their ability to scale the size, weight, power, and cost of optical systems. Many of these new applications involve deployment into high radiation environments, such as in particle accelerators, or in geostationary orbit around the earth, for example. Radiation effects in conventional electronic integrated circuits have been studied for over 50 years, and this field remains a very active area of research today. With PICs being a much newer technology, research work is required before they can be confidently utilized in such harsh environments, so that vulnerabilities may be understood, and radiation hardening methods may be devised as needed. The proposed work will identify the fundamental building blocks of PICs, methodically subject them to various types of radiation, and systematically characterize the effects on device and circuit behavior. Throughout this process, special attention will be given to identifying the underlying physical mechanisms driving any observed radiation-induced changes, or behind the absence of changes, so that findings may be generalized as much as possible, with the goal of enabling broad predictive capability.