Title:  High-efficiency topology optimization for very large-scale integrated-photonics inverse design

Committee: 

Dr. Ralph, Advisor

Dr. Cai, Chair

Dr. Yezzi

Abstract: The objective of the proposed research is to establish the mathematical and algorithmic framework necessary to develop a large-scale, photonics inverse-design methodology that is fully compatible with (and validated on) commercial, semiconductor-foundry platforms. Specifically, this new methodology will quickly and efficiently design high-performing, multi-functional devices and subsystems that operate despite various sources of fabrication variability. By overcoming typical tradeoffs between design dimensionality, device footprint, functional complexity, computational cost, and realizable performance, this research will pave a practical and proven path toward very large-scale integrated photonics (VLSIP), a key step in designing interferometrically stable architectures within fields like quantum computing, machine learning, and even augmented reality. This proposal first introduces the field of photonic inverse design within the context of high-yield photonic integration, highlighting specific challenges that continue to impede the industry's long-term scalability. Next, the preliminary research, comprised of various algorithmic enhancements/discoveries and experimental results, is presented in Chapter 3. Then, all remaining research is split into two primary tasks: (i) algorithmic developments and (ii) fabrication validation. Each task is accompanied with a proposed timeline and explicit key indicators to measure success (Chapter 4). Finally, the proposed work's impact and research contributions are detailed in Chapter 5.