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Photonics Research Lab (PRL)

The Photonics Research Lab focuses on advanced silicon and hybrid photonic integrated circuits for next-generation computing, communication, and signal-processing systems. Our research addresses fundamental challenges in scalability, energy efficiency, thermal stability, and bandwidth through materials-enabled photonics, novel device architectures, and system-level co-design.

A central theme of the lab is the integration of functional and two-dimensional (2D) materials with silicon photonics to enable non-volatile, analog, and reconfigurable photonic devices. These hybrid platforms underpin our work in neuromorphic photonics and reservoir computing, where we explore photonic hardware capable of learning, adaptation, and real-time information processing beyond conventional digital architectures.

We also investigate athermal silicon photonics, targeting stable operation under temperature variations and high-power densities, an essential requirement for large-scale integrated photonic systems and edge deployment. In parallel, the lab is active in microwave and RF photonics, leveraging integrated photonics for high-frequency signal generation, modulation, and processing.

Another key research direction is the use of high-order spatial, modal, and polarization degrees of freedom in integrated photonics. By exploiting multimode waveguides and polarization-engineered structures, we develop on-chip high-speed modulation and signal-processing techniques that extend capacity and functionality beyond single-mode platforms.

Overall, the lab’s work encompasses device physics, integrated circuit design, and system architectures, with a focus on experimentally realistic and scalable photonic technologies.

Current Research Projects

  • Silicon Photonics Integrated Circuits

  • Hybrid 2D-Material-Integrated Photonic Devices and Circuits

  • Non-Volatile and Analog Photonic Synapses

  • Neuromorphic and Reservoir Computing Using Integrated Photonic Architectures

  • Microwave, Terahertz, and RF Photonic Integrated Systems

  • Multimode and Polarization-Diverse On-Chip Modulation

  • Athermal Silicon Photonic Filters and Resonators

  • Integrated Photonic Sensors for Energy, Infrastructure, and Environmental Monitoring

Facilities and Capabilities 

The Photonics CTP lab has access to state-of-the-art optical and electronic characterization facilities for high-speed optical and electrical measurements from DC to mm-wave frequencies. Experimental capabilities include arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs), bit error rate tester (BERT), high-bandwidth real-time and sampling oscilloscopes, and tunable laser sources for dynamic and wavelength-resolved testing. These tools enable efficient chip- and system-level characterization and validation of integrated photonic devices, circuits, and subsystems.

Previous Research Areas

Earlier work from the lab includes low-temperature germanium photodetectors and modulators, photonic and Opto-MEMS sensors, and plasmonic devices and structures. These efforts provided a foundation in CMOS-compatible processing, sensing, and light–matter interaction, but are no longer the primary focus of the group.

Center Contributions and Affiliations