PIC ‘laser printer’ boosts fabrication access R
esearchers in the US have devised a way to produce
photonic integrated circuits (PICs) without expensive nanofabrication facilities. The new method allows
circuits to be written, erased, and modified by a laser printer into a thin film of phase-change material similar to what is used for recordable CDs and DVDs, allowing PICs to be constructed and reconfigured in a fraction of the time it would take at a nanofabrication lab. “We need to train or educate our students in this field. But for students to study and have hands-on experience with photonic circuits, currently, they need access to a multimillion- dollar facility,” said University of Washington Physics Professor Mo Li, and senior author of a paper published recently in Science Advances. “Using our method, photonic circuits that previously had to be fabricated in expensive and hard-to-access facilities now can be printed and reconfigured in labs, classrooms, and even garage workshops.” Students aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from this new way of creating PICs, the researchers say. For scientists, this advance will enable a
Cailabs joins forces with Precitec on laser welding for e-mobility
C
Researchers developed a new way to print and reconfigure photonic chips using a rapid, low-cost device about the size of a desktop laser printer
much quicker turnaround time for prototyping and testing out a new idea before booking valuable time in a nanofabrication facility. And for industrial applications, a big advantage of this new method for producing PICs is reconfigurability. For example, companies
could possibly use this technology to create reconfigurable optical connections in data centres, especially in systems that support artificial intelligence and machine learning, which would lead to cost savings and
production efficiencies. “Being able to write a whole photonic circuit using only one single step, without a complicated fabrication process, is really exciting. The fact that we can make any modification to any part of the circuit in our own lab and rewrite and redo it is amazing,” said graduate student Changming Wu. “It’s a matter of minutes
versus a full, day-long process. It’s a huge relief to be able to finish the whole fabrication process within a few minutes, instead of what often is several days or a week.”
ailabs’ beam shaping modules will be integrated into Precitec’s
laser beam welding heads for use in the e-mobility market. Cailabs’ beam-shaping
technology aims to overcome challenges often associated with laser welding in e-mobility, particularly with reflective and thermally conductive materials such as copper and aluminium. The solution is designed to improve the interaction of the laser with these materials, ensuring better energy absorption and improved welding quality. Klaus Löffler, Managing
Director of Precitec, commented: “The integration of Cailabs’ beam shaping expertise into our welding systems opens up new possibilities for e-mobility manufacturers worldwide in terms of precision and efficiency in laser welding.” The two companies have
worked together since 2018 as part of the Horizon 2020 project ‘Custodian’.
Haoquin Deng / UW ECE
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