High-speed programmable photonic circuits in a cryogenically compatible, visible-near-infrared 200 mm CMOS architecture

Recent advances in photonic integrated circuits have enabled a new generation of programmable Mach-Zehnder meshes (MZMs) realized by using cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers capable of universal linear-optical transformations on N input/output optical modes. MZMs serve critical functions in photonic quantum information processing, quantum-enhanced sensor networks, machine learning and other applications. However, MZM implementations reported to date rely on thermo-optic phase shifters, which limit applications due to slow response times and high power consumption. Here we introduce a large-scale MZM platform made in a 200 mm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor foundry, which uses aluminium nitride piezo-optomechanical actuators coupled to silicon nitride waveguides, enabling low-loss propagation with phase modulation at greater than 100 MHz in the visible-near-infrared wavelengths. Moreover, the vanishingly low hold-power consumption of the piezo-actuators enables these photonic integrated circuits to operate at cryogenic temperatures, paving the way for a fully integrated device architecture for a range of quantum applications. A four-port programmable interferometer based on aluminium nitride piezo-optomechanical actuators coupled to silicon nitride waveguides is reported. Its low-power mechanism, which can be fabricated in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor foundry, facilitates operation at cryogenic temperatures.

Automated summary

The study introduces a large-scale MZM platform that utilizes high-speed and low-power aluminium nitride piezo-optomechanical actuators for faster phase modulation and low-loss propagation in photonic integrated circuits. This platform has the potential to enable fully integrated device architecture for a range of quantum applications.