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Silicon photonics is an excellent platform for integrated cavity optomechanics due to silicon's high light confinement and favorable mechanical properties. However, optomechanical devices require a vacuum environment to inhibit damping due to air.We present an integrated platform for cavity optomechanics using thermo-compression bonding of silicon caps to provide on-chip vacuum sealing. We demonstrate optomechanical coupling in a vacuum-sealed ring resonator implemented on the platform, either by modulation of the laser power or by using an electrostatic phase shifter in the ring.By enabling optomechanics on a standard platform, we aim to make the technology available to a wider user base., QC 20240610Part of ISBN

Programmable photonics promise a plethora of optical functions while at the same time reducing the time and costs of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) development. One primary bottleneck for development of these systems is the difficulty in increasing component density because of excessive power consumption. We here present a MEMS-based Silicon Photonic power coupler that offers high optical performance (> 18 dB extinction ratio (ER), < 1.2 dB insertion loss (IL), and > 80 nm of optical bandwidth) within a compact footprint (25 mu m x 150 mu m) to provide a power-efficient active function: fast, continuous power tuning., Part of proceedings: ISBN 978-1-6654-0911-7QC 20220516

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) benefit from the technology advances in the semiconductor industry to incorporate an ever-increasing number of photonic components on a single chip to create large-scale photonic integrated circuits. We here present a broadband, compact and low-loss Silicon Photonic MEMS switch based on a Single-Pole Double-Throw (SPDT) architecture, where curved electrostatic actuators mechanically displace a movable input waveguide to redirect the optical signal on chip efficiently to either of two output waveguides. The photonic switch has been fabricated in an established silicon photonics technology platform with custom MEMS release post-processing. With a compact footprint of $\mathbf 65\times 62\, \boldsymbol μ \mathbf m^\mathbf 2$ , the switch exhibits an extinction ratio exceeding 23 dB over 70 nm optical bandwidth, a low insertion loss and a fast response time below $1 μ \texts$ , meeting the requirements for integration in large-scale reconfigurable Photonic Integrated Circuits. [2020-0391], QC 20210607, MORPHIC

The integration of MEMS transducers in photonic integrated circuits provides opportunities for high efficiency photonic modulation and dynamic routing on-chip. We here present an electrostatically actuated, silicon photonic MEMS 2 x 2 power coupler, fabricated in IMEC's iSiPP50G platform followed by a dedicated MEMS release sequence. The in-plane, mechanical tuning mechanism provides analog power coupling between waveguides in a small form factor. With our experimental demonstration of broad, > 30 nm optical bandwidth, high extinction ratio of > 27 dB, and a low actuation voltage of only 6 V, the coupler fulfills the requirements for large-scale integration in next generation reconfigurable PICs., Part of proceedings: 978-1-6654-1267-4, QC 20230117

We present a vertically movable silicon photonic MEMS switch realized in IMEC's standard silicon photonics platform followed by a dedicated postprocessing for MEMS release. The device has six optical ports, which enable four switching configurations with a safe electrical isolation of the switch's actuator. A low actuation voltage of 3.75 V is required to efficiently switch the optical signal from the drop port to the through port of the device. The device exhibits port extinctions of 16 dB and 26 dB at its OFF and ON states, respectively. With an insertion loss of < 2 dB and a broad 3 dB-bandwidth > 35 nm, this component paves the way for low-power scalable circuits in MEMS-enabled silicon photonics., QC 20210730

With the maturing and the increasing complexity of Silicon Photonics technology, novel avenues are pursued to reduce power consumption and to provide enhanced functionality: exploiting mechanical movement in advanced Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuits provides a promising path to access a strong modulation of the effective index and to low power consumption by employing mechanically stable and thus non-volatile states. In this paper, we will discuss recent achievements in the development of MEMS enabled systems in Silicon Photonics and outline the roadmap towards reconfigurable general Photonic Integrated Circuits., QC 20200313