Combining technologies is the most important step photonics researchers need to take, believes Luc Augustin, chief technology officer of integrated photonic circuits foundry Smart Photonics.
He believes that further adaptation of photonic integrated circuits in multiple applications using the same generic platform is vital. Those applications range from optical communications to various sensing applications, including Lidar.
Augustin said: ‘A cost-effective hybrid integration of silicon photonics with InP-based lasers and modulators will be the most important breakthrough.
‘Indium Phosphide (InP) is the only material capable of making high-performance and reliable lasers, high-speed, high-performance modulators and monolithically integrate all possible optical components. Silicon currently has lowest cost and highest volume capabilities, but lacks the lasers and high speed modulators. To allow silicon to perform in demanding applications, InP and silicon need to be intimately integrated in a flexible, scalable and cost-effective way.’
You can find Augustin online at www.linkedin.com/in/lucaugustin/ or www.researchgate.net/profile/Lm-Augustin. He plans to attend OFC, Photonics West, PIC international and ECOC, as well as local IEEE Benelux symposia.
Organisation: SMART Photonics
Role: CTO
Based in: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Education: PhD, Electrical Engineering