Cryogenic C-band wavelength division multiplexing system using an AIM Photonics Foundry process design kit.

Abstract

Cryogenic environments make superconducting computing possible by reducing thermal noise, electrical resistance and heat dissipation. Heat generated by the electronics and thermal conductivity of electrical transmission lines to the outside world constitute two main sources of thermal load in such systems. As a result, higher data rates require additional transmission lines which come at an increasingly higher cooling power cost. Hybrid or monolithic integration of silicon photonics with the electronics can be the key to higher data rates and lower power costs in these systems. We present a 4-channel wavelength division multiplexing photonic integrated circuit (PIC) built from modulators in the AIM Photonics process development kit (PDK) that operate at 25Gbps at room temperature and 10Gbps at 40K. We further demonstrate 2-channel operation for 20Gbps aggregate data rate at 40K using two different modulators/wavelengths, with the potential for higher aggregate bit rates by utilizing additional channels.