Handling Light Polarization In Next-Generation Photonic Chips

Photonic chips are becoming increasingly important as the demand for faster internet, cloud services, and data processing continues to grow. These chips use light instead of electricity to process and transmit information, enabling faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient technologies. However, light can travel in different polarization states, which makes it challenging to design photonic integrated circuits that perform well. In her PhD research, Kolsoom Mehrabi developed a set of compact building blocks that enable photonic chips to handle different polarizations of light.

The polarization of light arriving through an optical fiber is often unpredictable and constantly changing, which can affect the performance of photonic devices. To ensure reliable operation, photonic chips require components that can effectively control and manage these polarization states. Kolsoom Mehrabi focuses on building blocks that can convert, split, transform, and control the polarization of optical signals. This allows photonic chips to operate more reliably. regardless of how light enters the chip.

Developing polarization-handling components
Mehrabi combined simulations, device design, nanofabrication, and experimental characterization in her research. Through this approach, she developed building blocks for photonic integrated circuits and she also introduced a new fabrication method for polarization-handling components, making it possible to manufacture them in a reproducible and scalable way on a standard indium phosphide photonic platform. Indium phosphide is a semiconductor material widely used in advanced optical communication systems because it can integrate many optical functions onto a single chip.

Photonic integrated circuits of the future
The results of Mehrabi’s research contribute to the development of more reliable and versatile photonic integrated circuits. This work supports future applications in high-speed optical communications, data centers, sensing systems, precision measurement, and emerging quantum technologies by making polarization control easier to integrate into standard photonic chip technology.