Polymer Photonics P2IC®
You are now CEO at Lightwave Logic, which is described as a “public material and device development company based in Longmont, Colorado”. Lightwave Logic (LWLG) is commercializing it's P2ICTM organic polymer systems for a variety of electro-optic devices. Can you explain briefly what polymer photonics is all about and how it fits in to what we already know?
Polymers are so-called spin-on materials. They can be spun onto InP as well as SiP (even GaAs) PICs to create very high performance, very low power integrated photonics solutions. The polymers that Lightwave Logic have created exhibit high temperature stability. So, they are ideally suited for the heavy data applications markets such as datacenters - as well as high performance computing. Our company has already demonstrated 50Gbps capable modulators for integrated photonics and plans to further develop its P2IC® (polymer PIC) platform over the next few years.
The real fascination of Polymer based photonics is that fact that it is very low power and is capable of very high data rates – both qualities that are critically needed by the community.
Donald Trump & Photonics
The Trump administration seems to be unpicking many of the schemes launched by the previous Obama Administration. Is there a danger that some of the funding to AIM Photonics could be cut back?
I think the jury's is still out. But what you can say for sure is that the AIM photonics program was put in place because the Americans realized that Europe had a leadership position in integrated photonics and they needed to catch up. We’re now starting to see the fruits of that investment in places like Rochester and Syracuse, NY. But Photonics is a global industry, so I hope the collaborative spirit which has blossomed between those leading photonics research communities on both continents will be allowed to flourish. We need world class road maps to really propel both Europe and North America into leadership positions.
A final question. We heard feedback at the WTMF that not enough engineers are being trained or are available now to make sure that photonics can scale up as planned. What needs to happen?
Photonics does indeed have a major requirement for more engineers who understand integration technologies for PICs. Remember that the technical challenges in scaling requires a whole range of skills not only in designing the chips but also developing the packaging technologies to mount the chips onto modules. Our industry sector needs academics to work on the fundamental science. But there are already plenty of jobs emerging demanding high-tech engineers with commercial, industrial production skills.
The most interesting observation about our skill base is that integrated photonics is quickly becoming the ‘next generation IC’, much like IC’s or integrated circuits with silicon over 50 years ago. So, getting into photonics now is a brilliant career move.
Save The Dates
New dates and a location for the second World Technology Mapping Forum have been announced. It will be held on the campus of the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands from June 20-22nd 2018. More practical details on the forum programme and hotel information will follow at the start of 2018. In the meantime we suggest signing up for the free WTMF Newsletter to stay informed of developments.
http://www.photondelta.eu/news/insights/5-pho...7PZsf.dpbs
You are now CEO at Lightwave Logic, which is described as a “public material and device development company based in Longmont, Colorado”. Lightwave Logic (LWLG) is commercializing it's P2ICTM organic polymer systems for a variety of electro-optic devices. Can you explain briefly what polymer photonics is all about and how it fits in to what we already know?
Polymers are so-called spin-on materials. They can be spun onto InP as well as SiP (even GaAs) PICs to create very high performance, very low power integrated photonics solutions. The polymers that Lightwave Logic have created exhibit high temperature stability. So, they are ideally suited for the heavy data applications markets such as datacenters - as well as high performance computing. Our company has already demonstrated 50Gbps capable modulators for integrated photonics and plans to further develop its P2IC® (polymer PIC) platform over the next few years.
The real fascination of Polymer based photonics is that fact that it is very low power and is capable of very high data rates – both qualities that are critically needed by the community.
Donald Trump & Photonics
The Trump administration seems to be unpicking many of the schemes launched by the previous Obama Administration. Is there a danger that some of the funding to AIM Photonics could be cut back?
I think the jury's is still out. But what you can say for sure is that the AIM photonics program was put in place because the Americans realized that Europe had a leadership position in integrated photonics and they needed to catch up. We’re now starting to see the fruits of that investment in places like Rochester and Syracuse, NY. But Photonics is a global industry, so I hope the collaborative spirit which has blossomed between those leading photonics research communities on both continents will be allowed to flourish. We need world class road maps to really propel both Europe and North America into leadership positions.
A final question. We heard feedback at the WTMF that not enough engineers are being trained or are available now to make sure that photonics can scale up as planned. What needs to happen?
Photonics does indeed have a major requirement for more engineers who understand integration technologies for PICs. Remember that the technical challenges in scaling requires a whole range of skills not only in designing the chips but also developing the packaging technologies to mount the chips onto modules. Our industry sector needs academics to work on the fundamental science. But there are already plenty of jobs emerging demanding high-tech engineers with commercial, industrial production skills.
The most interesting observation about our skill base is that integrated photonics is quickly becoming the ‘next generation IC’, much like IC’s or integrated circuits with silicon over 50 years ago. So, getting into photonics now is a brilliant career move.
Save The Dates
New dates and a location for the second World Technology Mapping Forum have been announced. It will be held on the campus of the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands from June 20-22nd 2018. More practical details on the forum programme and hotel information will follow at the start of 2018. In the meantime we suggest signing up for the free WTMF Newsletter to stay informed of developments.
http://www.photondelta.eu/news/insights/5-pho...7PZsf.dpbs
