Periodic structures to Improve Performance of Silicon based Optical Phase Shifters for Inter-Satellite Communication
Abstract
Inter-satellite communication is a growing industry that can drastically increase bandwidth and minimize latency in the optical communication spectrum. The current method of optical inter-satellite communication rely on bulky mechanical movements to establish a link between satellites. Using an Optical Phased Array (OPA) in silicon photonics, beamsteering can be achieved on a centimeter scale. The phase shifter is an important OPA component that requires improvement for use in space. Periodic structures such as subwavelength gratings and 2D-photonic crystals can increase the phase sensitivity of a phase shifter by slowing down the speed of light in a structure to enhance light-matter interaction. In this thesis, two main tasks are achieved. Firstly, the performance of a thermo-optic phase shifter with a subwavelength grating is evaluated through various optical and active measurements. Second, the performance of an optical-MEMS phase shifter is improved by modifying the geometry of a photonic crystal with Finite-Difference-Time-Domain simulations.