# 02- Light-path engineering in disordered waveguiding systems

**Source**: https://www.cs.tum.de/spp1839/projects/2nd-period-2018-2021/02.html
**Parent**: https://www.cs.tum.de/spp1839/projects.html

Integrated photonic devices
interconnected by waveguides allow realizing optical systems in which
the interaction between propagating optical modes and matter can be
conveniently engineered by joint numerical design and experimental
implementation. Reliable nanofabrication methods enable experimentally
scanning relevant parameter spaces and provide devices with high
reproducibility. The dense integration of different optical elements
into complete systems allows for creating devices with compact
footprint. While traditionally highly optimized functional optical
elements have been used for system design, disordered optical elements
add additional photonic degrees of freedom to overcome limitations in
optical bandwidth, sensitivity and compactness. These tuning knobs are
of interest for applications both in classical optics, as well as for
devices that operate in the single photon regime.

Having previously implemented
both efficient experimental approaches for the physical realization of
disordered devices and combined numerical and theoretical approaches for
the theoretical study of disordered components, in this project we will
study fundamental properties of light with functional devices. We will
move beyond classical optical devices to study single photon propagation
in disordered waveguide structures. Disordered media will be analyzed
for non-classical multi-path interference as well as for single photon
scattering in randomized systems. Broadband operation in the classical
regime will be complemented with broadband single photon detectors based
on superconducting nanowires. By exploiting scalable fabrication
approaches both for photonic components and active single photon
elements, we will focus on multi-detector architectures to harness
disorder for imaging applications, as well as to exploit random speckle
patterns to increase spatial resolution of fiber-based waveform
transformations. By combining theoretical analysis/simulation and
experimental verification a new generation of planar single photon
devices will be created that harvest functionality from disordered
media.

## Contributors

Prof. Kurt Busch

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Prof. Wolfram Pernice

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Fabian Loth

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Wladick Hartmann

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## References

- Design
  study of random spectrometers for applications at optical
  frequencies, P. Varytis, D. Huynh, W. Hartmann, W. Pernice, and K.
  Busch, Optics Letters 43, 3180-3183 (2018).
- Low-loss
  fiber-to-chip couplers with ultrawide optical bandwidth, H.
  Gehring, M. Blaicher, W. Hartmann, P. Varytis, K. Busch, M.
  Wegener, W. Pernice, APL Photonics 4, 010801-010807 (2019).

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