Photonics researchers make one chip to rule them all

A multifunctional silicon photonics integrated circuit that can be programmed to perform a variety of different functions has been developed by researchers from Spain and the UK.

This is “the first photonic integrated chip that enables multiple functionalities by employing a single common architecture”, according to researchers from the Silicon Photonics Group at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), University of Southampton, and from the Institute of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València,

The team’s results have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

The chip’s operation is inspired by field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which use a common hardware architecture with logic blocks that can be configured to perform the desired operations.

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AIM Photonics selects University of Arizona for industrial demo of integrated photonic cryogenic datalink for focal plane arrays

The Rochester, NY-based consortium AIM Photonics (American Institute for Manufacturing Photonics) - an industry-driven public-private partnership advancing the USA’s photonics manufacturing capabilities - has announced the winner of a proposal call for a new Defense Department Government Directed Project for photonic integrated circuit (PIC) data links for cryogenic focal plane arrays (FPAs).

The $1,200,000 US Department of Defense (DoD) project, along with an additional $400,000 in matching funds from a team led by the University of Arizona (UA), will support a consortium that includes Sandia National Labs, Raytheon (RTN) and other aerospace firms engaged in FPA technology.

The project will encompass the design, fabrication and test of cryogenic PIC-based datalinks for FPA readout and has the potential to strongly advance imaging capabilities for national defense applications. Capitalizing on the national reach and capabilities of this consortium, the PICs will be manufactured in the AIM Photonics silicon photonics fabrication facility at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, NY, and could also lead to fabrication opportunities at AIM Photonics’ Test, Assembly, and Packaging (TAP) facility, which is being built in in Rochester, NY.

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Research raises hope for erbium-based integrated photonics device

An Arizona State University researcher has made another breakthrough using the rare-earth metal erbium as the gain material for an optical amplifier, this time with an achievement that will enable its use for the first time with small chip optical technologies. The discovery attains a decades-long goal in the field of photonic integration, in which different small optical components are tightly combined for better performance and ease of fabrication.

Details of the new optical amplification, "Giant optical gain in a single-crystal erbium chloride silicate nanowire," were published in the July online edition of Nature Photonics.

Cun-Zheng Ning, an ASU electrical engineering professor, and Hao Sun from China's Tsinghua University, and their teams have succeeded in raising erbium's optical gain from the typical low level of a few dB to over 100 dB per centimeter of propagation. The significant increase in optical gain will make it possible for erbium-based materials to be integrated on a chip for optical amplifiers and lasers.

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Instrument Systems to Present Numerous Innovations at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2017

At LASER World of PHOTONICS, due to be held in Munich from 26- 29 June 2017, Instrument Systems will be showcasing many new products for the measurement of displays, UV sources and laser diodes, together with an extensive portfolio of spectroradiometric instruments.

Display measurement technology with the new LumiCam 2400 With the LumiCam 2400 Instrument

Systems presents a new imaging photometer and colorimeter for the characterization of displays, control and display elements. The LumiCam 2400 – expected to be available by autumn – delivers images with an effective 5 megapixel resolution, enabling the evaluation of extended instrument clusters or small details with an extremely high resolution. The respective software calculates all relevant variables, e.g. luminance, color coordinates, color temperature, color homogeneity or dominant wavelength. A wide range of analysis tools enable a comprehensive evaluation of the measured values. The LumiCam software also offers freely configurable false color presentation for the impressive visualization of data.

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Mega trends in automotive boosting demand for semiconductors

The mega trends set to disrupt the automotive industry: electrification, connectivity, mobility and automation, are set to create considerable value chain element growth. The semiconductor industry, in particular, will see demand increase from around $30 billion in 2015 to $42 billion by 2020. China, will continue to sees its share of the total market increase in the mean time.

The automotive industry is set to continue to see the sale of new units rise, as car ownership becomes more affordable across Asia. The industry is facing a number of mega trends however; as the globe moves towards a sustainable economy, electrification is set to pick up; while digitalisation is opening up connective car opportunities; mobility considerations, such as car sharing and carpooling too are being created through technological advance and new business models; finally, automation, is set to radically transform the roads, reducing accidents and creating new ownership models.

As the mega trends begin to set in, the wider value chain that supports many of the innovations, is likely to see considerable boosts in revenues. In a new report from McKinsey & Company, titled ‘Mobility trends: What’s ahead for automotive semiconductors’, the consultancy firm explores the effects the mega trends will have on semiconductor sales.

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