$LWLG Progress with polymers In this new era o
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In this new era of silicon photonics, polymers may make it possible to integrate photonics on both compound semiconductors and silicon platforms.
Under the guidance of British photonics pioneer Michael Lebby, US-based Lightwave Logic Inc. has developed novel ridge waveguide modulators using organic polymers.
The material is more temperature stable than previous designs, and provides a platform with vast potential for scaling performance and energy efficiency.
And because the polymers can withstand extreme heat, they can be sprayed onto the silicon during standard chip production processes.
The modulators already have bandwidth capable of transmitting data rates greater than 50 gigabits per second (Gbps) and could be used in various 4 x 50 configurations to transmit 400 Gbps, a data rate many data centres are moving towards.
The team is now working on advanced polymer structures that will enable transmitters to operate up to 800 Gbps. “Polymer photonic integrated circuits will address the challenges facing the ‘heavy data’ industry over the next decade,” Lebby says. “With high temperature stability, reliability, high performance, low power, and simple fabrication techniques, polymers are ideally suited as a vehicle to create polymer engines not just for data applications, but for healthcare, consumer, and automotive industries as well, as the drive to battery-based hand-held products grows.”
http://www.technologist.eu/photonics/