Setup and characterization of a silicon photonic transmitter system

by Mr Heinrich Meyer

Thursday Mar 19, 2026, 10:00 AM → 11:00 AM Europe/Berlin

Seminarraum EG + Zoom (IPE)

Final presentation of the Master Thesis of Heinrich Meyer on the Setup and characterization of a silicon photonic transmitter system

Abstract:

As particle collision experiments are upgraded to operate at higher luminosities, the electronics within their detectors face increasingly harsh X-ray and particle radiation. Driven by demands for higher resolution, reduced detector mass, and the shift toward off-detector data processing, current readout systems must be upgraded to handle significantly higher data rates. Silicon photonic electro-optic modulators offer a highly promising technological solution to these challenges.

 

The primary objective of this master thesis was to establish single-modulator data transmission systems utilizing the COTTONTAIL chip and to conduct in-situ characterization of its behavior under active X-ray irradiation. Executing these measurements required several optimizations to the existing packaging and interconnection technologies. Specifically, custom fan-out printed circuit boards were developed to provide high-frequency broadband electrical connections (and terminations) for the modulators via wire bonds. Additionally, the fiber-to-chip coupling for optical signal transmission was significantly refined to ensure stability, and a comprehensive software suite was created to enable the main and supporting measurement procedures.