Integrated Optics and Advanced Photonics

Research description
Latest publications
Key person(s)
Partners

During the last decade silicon and integrated photonics have changed the way we develop optical circuits, enabling dense integration of complex components. We perform cutting edge research in the field, mainly studying advanced devide for optical signal processing and high-speed communications. Research themes include:

Integrated nonlinear optical devices
Low loss optical couplers
Optical communication devices for Tb/s lines
Research on new materials and compounds for advanced functionalities, such as tantalum pentoxide, silicon nitride, aluminium galium arsenide

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) of a silicon nitride waveguide

Artistic illustration of an integrated optical circuit

Lacava, C., et al. "Intermodal frequency generation in silicon-rich silicon nitride waveguides." Photonics Research 7.6 (2019): 615-621.
Bucio, T.D., et al. "Silicon Nitride Photonics for the Near-Infrared." IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 26.2 (2019): 1-13.
Lacava, C., et al. "Intermodal Bragg-Scattering Four Wave Mixing in Silicon Waveguides." Journal of Lightwave Technology 37.7 (2019): 1680-1685.
Lacava, C., et al. "Si-rich silicon nitride for nonlinear signal processing applications." Scientific Reports 7.1 (2017): 22.
Marchetti, R., et al. "High-efficiency grating-couplers: demonstration of a new design strategy." Scientific reports 7.1 (2017): 16670.

Tha majority of our research is carried out in a collaborative manner with national and international partners. In particular we currently have active collaborations with the following bodies:

We collaborate with the engineering and nanoelectronics department for the development of advanced nonlinear optical devices for a variety of applications. In particular, we are interested in exploring the nonlinear optical properties of different materials (AlGaAs, SiN, Si) that might facilitate the realization of all-optical signal processing, miniaturized devices.

We work with the Optoelectronics Research Centre (in which Cosimo Lacava is currently affiliated with as visiting researcher) in order to develop state of the art integrated photonic devices for optical communications and functional optics. They include high speed modulators (>50 Gb/s), passive components, extremely low loss optical couplers and novel nonlinear devices. Cosimo Lacava currently works, with collaborators in Southampton, at the development of novel all optical telecommunications schemes, through a funded EPSRC funded project.

Other partners:

Antonio Mariano

Antonio Mariano graduated in Electronic Engineering (Curriculum Photonics) at the University of Pavia in 2013 with a dissertation on the Characterisation of AlGaAs Waveguides for Optical Signal Processing.

Soon after the graduation he continued his studies on Integrated Optical Devices and on Biomedical Optoelectronic Devices in the Integrated Photonics Lab of the University Of Pavia where he obtained his PhD in 2017. His main research activity, funded by the European Project “NISTAS”, was focused on the production of a device able to evaluate the status of the cardiovascular system and prevent diseases by exploiting optical devices and techniques. He also spent 3 months as Visiting Researcher in the Department of Information Technology (INTEC) at Ghent University – Photonic Research Group to study methods of integration of the same device.

After some year working in the area of the Optical Fiber Telecommunication, he’s now employed at Facebook Ireland (Oculus), working on the development of Integrated Optical Devices.

Riccardo Marchetti

Riccardo Marchetti graduated with honours in Electronic Engineering (Curriculum Photonics) at the University of Pavia in 2014 with a dissertation regarding the study and characterization of hybridly integrated III-V on Si Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs).
He then joined the Integrated Photonics Lab of University of Pavia, where he obtained the PhD in Optoelectronics in 2018, and held the position of Research Associate.
During this period his main research interests regarded the fields of integrated Photonics and Silicon Photonics, for applications in Telecom and Biomedics. He was involved in the FP7 European Project “FABULOUS”, aimed at the development of innovative optical components in the context of next generation optical networks,
and spent 6 months as a visiting reasercher at the Optoelectonics Research Centre (ORC) of the University of Southampton, where he had the chance to specialize in the topic of fiber-to-chip optical coupling.

He’s currently a research intern at Huawei Technologies Italia, working on the development of innovative solutions for external cavity semiconductor lasers for Telecom applications.

Riccardo Fabris

My interest in photonics appeared during the photonics course held at the University of Pavia. For this reason, I decided to carry out my Bachelor Thesis (and then also my Master Thesis) at the Integrated Photonics Laboratory.
The bachelor activity focused on a characterization of an optical waveguide in LiNbO3, that could be useful in optical communication. The main interest od this work was the wavelength conversion with polarization independence of the input signal.
Instead, the Master Thesis regarded the analysis of a microfluidic system which combined acoustical and optical wave. The main purpose of the system was studying the mechanical property of a single cell and determine its health.

I am now employed at Bright Solutions as Production Engineer.

Federica Cremaschi (MSc bio-engineering)

Nell’ottobre 2019 ho concluso il mio percorso di studi svolto presso la facoltà di Bioingegneria dell’Unipv. Dopo la laurea triennale mi sono iscritta al corso di specializzazione “Tecnologie per la salute”, un percorso che volge l’attenzione a quelli che sono i principali aspetti legati all’utilizzo e alla progettazione di una tecnologia, con particolare attenzione all’ambito biomedico. Tra i temi trattati ho avuto la possibilità di affacciarmi al mondo della fotonica, grazie ad alcuni crediti extra. Da qui l’interesse si è poi sviluppato nella ricerca di un argomento a cui lavorare per la tesi magistrale presso il laboratorio di fotonica integrata dell’Unipv, dove ho poi effettivamente svolto il mio lavoro di tesi. In particolare ho avuto l’opportunità di lavorare ad un progetto legato allo sviluppo di un nuovo sistema di misura microreologico basato sull’utilizzo di un chip microflidico integrato. Nel caso specifico il sistema ottico è stato testato studiando materiali viscoplastici dalla struttura molto complessa.
Attualmente lavoro nel settore biomedicale della multinazionale Johnson & Johnson.