Posts Categorized: How it works

Integrated photonics platforms compared: Silicon Nitride, Indium Phosphide & Silicon Photonics

No technology platform can do it all in integrated photonics. In this final installment of a four-part series, we’ll review strengths and weaknesses of the major photonic platforms and take a closer look at how combinations of them unlock the full potential of integrated photonics. Whenever an emerging technology comes in multiple flavors, you’re inclined

Silicon Photonics (SiPh): Piggybacking on Decades of Chip Manufacturing Experience

No technology platform can do it all in integrated photonics. In part III of a four-part series, we take a closer look at a base material that stands out for its seamless integration with existing CMOS infrastructure: silicon. The origin of silicon photonics Capable of propagating high data rates at relatively low power dissipation, light

What is a Photonic Integrated Circuit?

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a microchip containing two or more photonic components which form a functioning circuit, hence also called photonic chip. Photonic components utilise photons (or particles of light) as opposed to electrons. As they move at the speed of light, photons have a wide bandwidth and minimal energy loss, making them

What Is Indium Phosphide and What Can It Do More Than Other PIC Platforms?

No technology platform can do it all in integrated photonics. In part II of a four-part series, we take a closer look at a base material that stands out for its ability to produce light, thus allowing for the fabrication of active components: Indium Phosphide. Why Indium Phosphide Is Widely Used as a Light Source

IPSR-I Presents: Spring Meeting 2022 Round-Up

With the next IPSR-I Roadmap Meeting scheduled for November 2022 at the PIC Summit Europe in Eindhoven, we provide a round-up of the spring meeting, and take a look ahead at what’s to come this autumn. Join the IPSR-I Roadmap Meeting on November 8th by registering via PIC Summit Europe. The previous IPSR-I Roadmap event in

Why Can Silicon Nitride Be an Ideal Platform for Photonic Integrated Circuits?

No technology platform can do it all in integrated photonics. That’s why we are looking for the characteristics of the various technology platforms of photonic integrated circuits. In this article, we take a closer look at a base material that stands out for its low light losses and broad spectral coverage: Silicon Nitride (SiN). In

The Foundation Has Been Laid – Now the Dutch Photonics Sector Is Preparing for the Great Leap Forward

Faster, lighter, more durable, and ultimately also cheaper: the advantages of photonic circuits are considerable, for a wide range of applications. And the Netherlands plays an important global role in the development and application of this key technology. In recent years, partly due to the policies of the government, provinces, and Brainport, PhotonDelta has laid

Heterogeneous integration key to future integrated-photonics growth

No single integrated-photonics technology can do it all: they need to be combined for maximum functionality. The set of techniques to do that – hybrid or heterogeneous integration – is a key growth driver for the Dutch integrated-photonics industry. This article explains what heterogeneous integration is and why it matters. In electronics, the vast majority

InP on SiN photonic integrated circuits realized through wafer-scale micro-transfer printing

New H2020 project INSPIRE will revolutionize photonic integrated circuit technology by combining highest optoelectronic efficiencies in InP photonics and lowest optical loss in SiN photonics, in a single platform through wafer-scale micro-transfer printing technology.Major photonic integration platforms, i.e., silicon, silicon nitride (SiN) or indium phosphide (InP) based, are now mature and make their impact in

MIT AIM Academy and PhotonDelta present the Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap

The 2020 Integrated Photonics System Roadmap – International (IPSR-I) is a global reference document that reveals the full potential of integrated photonics. It has been released jointly by MIT’s Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing (IKIM) in Cambridge, which runs the AIM Photonics Academy project and PhotonDelta, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It charts the

Overview IPSR-I 2020 released

The Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap – International 2020 overview, a joint initiative of AIM academy and PhotonDelta, has been released on 10-10-2019. The objective of the IPSR-I is to establish and sustain a trust based global network of Industrial and R&D partners, who are working together on defining and creating future Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC)