Photonic Chip#

XPOW Controller#

The photonic chip is controlled via the XPOW-8AX-CCvCV-U controller from NICSLAB. This controller provides 40 independent channels with voltage and current control for thermo-optic phase actuators (TOPAs).

  • Product documentation: XPOW Datasheet

  • Model: XPOW-8AX-CCvCV-U

  • Interface: Serial communication (115200 baud)

  • Channels: 40 independent voltage/current sources

  • Voltage range: 0-5V

  • Current range: 0-300mA

Available Chip Architectures#

The Chip class supports 20 different photonic chip architectures, each with specific configurations of inputs, outputs, and thermo-optic phase actuators (TOPAs):

Mach-Zehnder Interferometers (MZI)#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

1

MZI-T12

Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

1

1

1, 2

8

MZI-T7

Mach-Zender Interferometer

1

1

4, 5

Phase Shifters/Modulators#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

2

PM-T11

Phase Shifter Solo

1

1

3

14

PM-T3

Phase Actuator Solo

1

1

16

Multi-Mode Interferometers (MMI)#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

3

MMI2x2-T10

2x2 MMI Solo

2

2

-

4

MMI1x2-T9

1x2 MMI Solo

1

2

-

12

N4x4-T5

4x4 MMI Passive

4

4

-

13

MMI1x2-T4

1x2 MMI Passive

1

2

-

19

N4x4-T2

2x2 MMI

4

4

-

20

MMI2x2-T1

2x2 MMI

2

2

-

Kernel Nullers (2x2 configurations)#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

9

N2x2-T6

Normal 4-Port Nuller (active 2x2)

4

4

21-28

15

N2x2-D4

Mega Kernel Nuller Reconfig

4

7

6, 7, 25-40

16

N2x2-D3

Kernel Nuller 2x2 Reconfig N

4

7

29-32

17

N2x2-D2

Passive Kernel Nuller

4

7

-

Kernel Nullers (3x3 configurations)#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

11

N3x3-D5

3-Port Kernel Nuller (passive)

3

3

-

18

N3x3-D1

3-Port Kernel Nuller

3

3

-

Kernel Nullers (4x4 configurations)#

Arch

ID

Name

Inputs

Outputs

TOPAs

5

N4x4-D8

4-Port Nuller Reconfig

4

7

4-16

6

N4x4-T8

4-Port MMI Active

4

4

17-20

7

N4x4-D7

4-Port Nuller (passive) - FT

4

7

21-24

10

N4x4-D6

4-Port Nuller (4x4 MMI) Passive Crazy

4

7

-

Note

Architecture 6 (N4x4-T8) is commonly used for 4-port kernel nulling interferometry with active phase control on 4 output channels.

Tip

Use Chip.ARCHS[arch_number] to access the full architecture dictionary for a specific configuration.