Periodic Reporting for period 1 - COMb (High Speed Communication Links Based on Heterogeneous Chips)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-08-01 bis 2024-01-31
Optical links help connect the world. However, state-of-the-art optical-link technologies are struggling as people and businesses consume increasing amounts of information. Optical transceivers (which transmit and receive data) are particularly burdened as transmission rates intensify and data formatting techniques become more complex. The EU-funded COMb project has a plan: use a high-performing, cost-effective silicon nitride platform to integrate indium phosphide and lithium niobate — two key materials used extensively in telecommunications — and make ultra-high-speed transceivers. COMb will use many lines and the mode-lock technique so that lasers produce extremely fast pulses of light to transmit higher data rates and obtain higher symbol rates. However, the lines will need to be modulated as well. For this fast modulators are needed. The project will try to co-integrate the modulators with the III/V's. As such we can send more data because the modulators are faster than what is available now, but also since we modulate many different laserlines.
The aim is to integrate this modulators and co-blocks such that we can show this as a demonstrator to large telecom and datacom companies and convince them of the technology.
The aim is to integrate this modulators and co-blocks such that we can show this as a demonstrator to large telecom and datacom companies and convince them of the technology.
In this project we further optimized the Mode-locked lasers for communication purposes. We have shown that we can now make these on a wafer scale using the micro-transfer printing method. For this we have used a commercial III/V foundry to make the amplifiers and saturable absorbers. The laser we have fabricated were the onset for an succesful application for an EIC transition grant. Moreover, withing the project we have also shown that we can print lithium niobate wafers (up to 1 cm) with a waferscale tool. These results have been the onset for a number of new projects as well as some bilateral projects. On top we are also in the process of writing two patent proposals.
We have managed to transfer 1 cm long lithium niobate coupons to a silicon photonic chip. This is the main achievement as there was a lot of criticism whether such long coupons could be transferred with the micro-transfer printing method
Secondly we have been able to transfer these coupons with a waferscale tool that really shows that we have found a credible way to integrate LN with CMOS compatible chips.
Secondly we have been able to transfer these coupons with a waferscale tool that really shows that we have found a credible way to integrate LN with CMOS compatible chips.