FOCUS BUSINESS AND RESEARCH NEWS
PIC/optical fibre connections made more efficient with microlenses
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esearchers at Ghent University and Imec are using microlenses to connect the optical channels on photonic integrated circuits (PICs)
with external optical fibres more efficiently. The Belgium-based team is developing solutions to overcome the packaging and integration challenges of PICs for next- generation telecommunication systems, sensors, and biomedical devices. In the Journal of Optical Microsystems, they have demonstrated microlenses that can be integrated onto the PIC itself, during its fabrication process, as well as external microlenses that can be added during the packaging process.
Overcoming optical packaging and coupling challenges In order to bring light into and get light out of a PIC, optical coupling must be optimised. For optical communication applications, for example, a connection needs to be made with optical fibres, which then transport the light pulses over long distances. Alternatively, the PIC could house an optical sensor, which requires external light for its readout. However, since light on a PIC propagates in very tiny channels with sub-micrometre dimensions, called waveguides, this optical coupling is
The resulting packaged miniature optical temperature sensor probe (right) and schematic with an exploded view illustrating the build-up of the sensor probe (leſt)
very challenging and requires careful alignment between the PIC and external components. The optical components are also very fragile, so that proper packaging of the PIC is vital to result in a reliable device. To create an efficient connection between
the PIC sensor and an optical fibre that can be connected to standard readout equip- ment, the Ghent/Imec team used a small ball lens with a 300µm diameter. The paper describes the import steps that were needed to transform the PIC into a functional and fully packaged miniature sensor probe (pic- tured) less than 2mm in diameter. The type
of optical sensor that was developed in this demonstration was a Bragg grating tempera- ture sensor that could measure up to 180°C. The sensor was developed as part of the
European SEER project together with Argotech (Czech Republic) and the Photonics Communications Research Lab- oratory at the National Technical University of Athens (Greece). In this project, several European partners focus on integrating optical sensors in the manufacturing routines for making composite parts such as those used in aircraft, which will ultimately allow process optimisation, energy savings, and cost savings.
Lightmatter raises $155m as demand for AI computing grows P
hotonics chipmaker Lightmatter has raised $155m in its latest funding round, bringing the total the firm has raised to more than $420m.
Now valued at more than $1.2bn, the com-
pany plans to expedite its growth by expanding its team and office footprint to meet the increasing demand of AI and high-performance computing. Lightmatter is developing photonic
technologies that reconstruct how chips calculate and communicate, which can be leveraged by the biggest cloud providers, semiconductor companies, and enterprises for their computing needs. The company provides photonics-enabled hardware and software solutions that reduce power consumption and increase performance, essential for highly compute-intensive workloads such as AI. “Lightmatter is positioned to be a key
driver in powering the next generation of computing systems that will further enable AI innovation,” said Lightmatter co-founder
6 Electro Optics February 2024
and CEO, Nick Harris. “Through photonic technologies, Lightmatter is ensuring the steady progress in computing performance continues, despite growing power con- sumption challenges and slowing progress with transistor scaling.” Harris believes that integrated photon- ics solutions can overcome challenges associated with current laser technol- ogies: ”Ultra-tight integration between advanced-node compute chips and silicon photonics is the next big thing,” he told EO. “Laser solutions and fibre packaging costs hold the silicon photonics industry back. These are hard problems to solve, but we have some of the best minds in the industry working on them.” Lightmatter has grown its headcount
more than 50% since its last funding announcement in May 2023, and plans to open a Toronto office in 2024. The company has also grown its leadership team, hiring Danner Stodolsky as Vice-President of Data Center Architecture, who was previously a
Vice-President of Engineering at Google, and Colin Stuart, the company’s new General Counsel, who will support Lightmatter’s IP portfolio and expansion of contractual relationships. The $155m Series C2 funding round was
led by Google Ventures and Viking Global Investors, with participation from others.
www.electrooptics.com
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Missinne et al.
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