University of Ottawa

Purpose

Photonic power converters (PPCs) are part of the receiver unit in opticalwavelength photonic links and power-by-light systems with many modern applications in 5G, internet-of-things, remote power, and more. Systems operating at 1550 nm benefit from the advantageous free space and fibre optic transmission properties at this wavelength. These promise safe and reliable applications in telecommunications and long-distance remote power+data transfer. Multijunction (MJ) PPCs are required to reach the highest power conversion efficiencies. The multiple junctions in these devices simultaneously enable the elevated output voltages that are required for effective and efficient remote power applications. Complementary to MJ device configurations is the nascent trend towards architectures which employ thin-film back-reflector (BR) layers. These designs offer a significant increase in the light-trapping capabilities of the PPC, unlocking higher efficiencies and greatly reducing absorber thickness requirements. The project will develop an artificial intelligence (AI) approach of dimensionality reduction to design elevated-voltage PPC with a backreflector operating at 1550 nm for the first time, enabling combined powerdata long-distance transfer. AI is an essential tool to overcome large parameter spaces in optoelectronics optimization and identify the most promising photonic designs for fabrication. Back-reflector designs allow larger light trapping than traditional upright designs, enabling higher efficiencies and thinner growths more commensurate with high-throughput manufacturing techniques. The project will use methodology and code previously developed for thick upright designs and early back-reflector design trials to design 4- to 10junction PPCs. An independently funded German partner institution will grow and fabricate chips designed within the project. The chips will be tested and validated by NRC and University of Ottawa