Heterogeneous integration of infrared single mode lasers with photonic integrated circuits

Our team consisting of Pendar Technologies, MIT campus, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, proposes to develop a mid-infrared (MIR) laser platform based on photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and relevant to critical NASA gas sensing instruments based on tunable laser spectroscopy (TLS). As demonstrated by the Mars Curiosity rover, TLS sensors play a unique role for planetary exploration but are currently too large. Our Phase I goals will be to demonstrate the feasibility of a miniaturized optical source with multiple MIR lasers meeting the requirements of a TLS instrument for the exploration of Uranus’s atmosphere. At the core of the proposed development is the hybrid integration of multiple III-V DFB lasers onto a Germanium on Silicon (GOS) PIC. The benefits of our approach include not only a drastic reduction of the laser transmitter size (>10x) but also a clear path for its ruggedization for space flights. Additionally, since all the laser elements are mounted on the same PIC platform, a single thermal management solution is needed, significantly reducing the SWaP of the transmitter.

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have become a key enabling technology that provides a cost-effective path for the miniaturization of optical systems through wafer-scale fabrication. A wide variety of integrated optical elements can be combined into PICs to perform functions critical to many commercial and scientific applications such as optical communications, quantum computing and sensing. Given their potential to significantly reduce the size, weight and power (SWaP) of optical systems, PICs are an exciting technology platform for many of NASA’s mass- and volume- constrained applications in need of compact scientific instrumentation on satellites, rovers and spacecrafts. The PIC-based mid-infrared laser platform proposed by our Team is relevant to a variety of NASA applications and in particular gas sensing based on tunable laser spectroscopy (TLS). This well-established sensing technique, which requires on a long pathlength optical cavity and tunable single mode lasers, plays a unique role for planetary exploration. It is synergistic with the capabilities of mass spectrometers and not only provides unambiguous detection of a wide variety of gases but also can achieve isotope ratio measurements, both with extreme precision. However, TLS-based instruments are currently large however, and efforts to miniaturize them can enable a major increase in technical and scientific achievement in solar system exploration. The Uranus Orbiter & Probe mission would especially benefit from the PIC-based technology development proposed by our team thanks not only a drastic reduction of the laser transmitter size but also a straightforward path for its ruggedization for space flights. Additionally, because of the wide spectral range over which the GOS material system is optically transparent (~ 2 to 10 microns), our proposed laser platform can be modified in the future to build TLS sensors targeting many more molecules of interest to NASA and commercial applications. We believe that our proposed PIC-based laser platform can be modified to match the requirements of a large range of gas sensors. The resulting miniaturized instruments can be adopted for the detection of various chemical threats, including chemical warfare agents (CWAs). This would be of great interest to the Department of Homeland Security and all branches of the Department of Defense. The enabled sensing capability is also applicable to the detection of toxic industrial compounds (TICs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants in the air, which is of interest to markets targeting air quality measurements. Sensors miniaturized thanks to the PIC-based laser platform proposed can also be easily adapted to identify natural gas leaks, which is highly relevant for the Department of Energy and the oil and gas industry.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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