Silicon Photonics Imager Enables Free-Space Spectroscopy and Imaging

This paper details the design, fabrication, and demonstration of a silicon photonics-based heterodyne interferometric imaging system. The photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is capable of performing one-dimensional spectroscopy for unique input spectrums using a single baseline within its 91 available baselines. The PIC utilizes polarization diversifying gratings to separate incoming light into two distinct polarizations, an on-chip 2x4 optical hybrid, and a strong local oscillator (LO) to perform the heterodyne measurements. The optical hybrids combine the input signals with the LO and split them into 2 component pairs for phase-sensitive measurements. Furthermore, the PIC can perform 2-D image reconstruction by combining many baseline pairs to measure the visibility of a simple target. These demonstrations highlight the PIC's capabilities for 1-D spectroscopy and 2-D imaging applications. The development of such integrated photonic systems holds significant promise for various applications, including free-space optical communications, remote sensing, and astronomical instrumentation. The ability to perform complex optical functions on a compact silicon chip offers advantages in terms of size, weight, power consumption, and cost. Further research and development in this area could lead to the creation of advanced imaging systems with enhanced performance and functionality.

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