Microwave & Photonics Lab Colorado School of Mines

Lab capabilities

Our lab brings microwave and photonic test benches together. We measure from DC to 50 GHz, with vector network analysis to 43.5 GHz and spectrum analysis to 50 GHz, and reach further with mm-wave waveguide hardware and absolute power metrology up to 3 THz. On the optical side we run ultra-low-noise and narrow-linewidth lasers, quantum-limited photoreceivers and high-speed electro-optic devices, and two wedge wire bonders and an in-house fiber-to-PIC packaging station handle assembly. Our probe station provides mm-wave and photonics on-wafer probing, combining RF probing and fiber edge-coupling of photonic chips at the same time.

MPI TS150-AIT probe station with a Moticam 4000 microscope camera
MPI TS150-AIT probe station with Moticam 4000 camera
Microwave probe and optical fibers on a photonic integrated chip
MPI TITAN GSG probe and optical fibers on a photonic chip
01

RF & microwave measurement

DC to 50 GHz · on-wafer and connectorized

1.1On-wafer probing

  • RF / mm-wave probe stationMPI TS150-AIT150 mm manual system for mm-wave and photonics on-wafer probing: simultaneous RF probing and fiber edge-coupling of photonic chips
  • RF probesMPI TITAN T40A-GSG150DC–⁠40 GHz, 150 µm pitch
  • MicropositionersMPI MP60
  • Microscope cameraMotic Moticam 40004K

1.2Network analysis

  • PNA microwave vector network analyzerKeysight N5224A10 MHz–⁠43.5 GHz, 4-port
  • USB vector network analyzersCopper MountainUp to 8 GHz×5

1.3Spectrum & signal analysis

  • Spectrum analyzerHP/Agilent 8565E30 Hz–⁠50 GHz
  • USB real-time spectrum analyzersTektronix RSA306B9 kHz–⁠6.2 GHz, 40 MHz real-time bandwidth×2

1.4Noise & power measurement

  • Noise-figure measurement systemHPWith external mixer and ~20 GHz LO
  • Noise sourceKeysight 346CK011–⁠50 GHz, 346-series
  • USB wide-dynamic-range peak & average power sensorKeysight U2064XA10 MHz–⁠40 GHz, −70 to +20 dBm

1.5Signal sources

  • RF signal generatorsNI PXI-5652500 kHz–⁠6.6 GHz×2

1.6RF components

  • Connectorized RF componentsLNAs, PAs, mixers, directional couplers and other connectorized components, DC–⁠50 GHz
02

Millimeter-wave & THz

Waveguide hardware and power metrology up to 3 THz

  • mm-wave waveguide components and upconverters
  • Absolute THz power/energy meterThomas KeatingPhoto-acoustic, self-calibrating; 30 GHz–⁠3 THz
03

Photonics

Lasers, detection, modulation and fiber coupling

3.1Lasers

  • Ultra-low-noise laserThorlabs ULN15TK1550 nm nominal; 120 mW typ.; 100 Hz typ. Lorentzian linewidth; RIN −160 dBc/Hz typ. (10 MHz); PM FC/APC output
  • Tunable external-cavity diode laserTOPTICA DL proWith DLC pro digital laser controller
  • Hybrid-integrated narrow-linewidth laserDeeplight DLT-NL-15501550 nm; intrinsic linewidth < 50 Hz, integrated linewidth < 5 kHz; butterfly package

3.2Detection & modulation

  • Quantum-limited photoreceivers
  • High-speed photodetectors
  • High-speed electro-optic modulators

3.3Fiber coupling

  • Fiber edge-coupling positionersThorlabsAt the probe station, for edge-coupling photonic chips
04

Packaging & assembly

Wire bonding and fiber-to-PIC packaging

  • Wedge-wedge wire bonderWest Bond 7400AUltrasonic/thermosonic, 45° feed; Al/Au wire 18–⁠51 µm (0.7–⁠2 mil)
  • Thermosonic wedge bonderHybond 676Deep-access vertical feed; Au wire 12–⁠76 µm, ribbon up to 25 × 300 µm; stage to 250 °C
  • Fiber-to-PIC packaging stationBuilt in-housePackaging of optical fibers to photonic integrated circuits
05

General lab equipment

Bench instruments, cables and adapters

06

Software & computing

Simulation suites · workstations · in-house tools

6.1Simulation & design

  • HFSSAnsys3D full-wave electromagnetic simulation
  • Advanced Design System (ADS)KeysightRF and microwave circuit and planar electromagnetic simulation
  • LumericalAnsysPhotonic device and circuit simulation

6.2Computing · 320 CPU cores

  • High-core-count workstationsAMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX64 cores / 128 threads; 256 GB RAM×3
  • High-clock workstationsIntel Core i9-14900KS24 cores (8P + 16E) / 32 threads, up to 6.2 GHz; 128–⁠192 GB RAM×4
  • Unified-memory workstationsAMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 / 49516 Zen 5 cores with 40-CU integrated GPU; 128 / 192 GB unified memory×2

6.3In-house tools · free, browser-based

Contact

Interested in collaborating or using our facilities?

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