The Global Photonics Engineering Contest has captured the imagination of engineers worldwide, inviting innovative minds to showcase their ideas in the ever-evolving field of Integrated photonics. As part of our spotlight on the contest’s jury members, we had the privilege of speaking with Jörn Epping, Epiphany's co-founder and an integrated photonics expert.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734529434210-1734529434210.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics" class="button-main-action">Learn more about the challenge here.</a>Jörn Epping brings a wealth of experience to the jury, with an impressive career spanning academic research, engineering design, and entrepreneurial leadership. With a background in physics from the University of Münster and a PhD from the University of Twente, his career has been deeply rooted in photonics innovation. After roles at LioniX and a stint as Managing director at QuiX Quantum GmbH, Epping co-founded Epiphany, a design house focused on integrated photonics and commercialization.Epping shared valuable insights on what makes a strong submission and how engineers can maximize their chances of success in this prestigious challenge.<blockquote>“What excites me most about this contest is seeing ideas come to life,” he explained. “I love witnessing how new concepts translate into designs and eventually into chips.”</blockquote><h3 dir="ltr">What Makes a Submission Stand Out?</h3>When evaluating contest submissions, Epping emphasizes two primary qualities: creativity and feasibility.<ul><li dir="ltr">Creativity: “Is it unique? Does it push the boundaries of what we expect?” Epping believes that engineering contests are an opportunity to think outside the box, unbound by the constraints of existing markets.</li><li dir="ltr">Feasibility: “Is the idea practical and producible with today’s technology? Can it be manufactured?” Submissions should demonstrate an understanding of current technological capabilities and scalability, whether the project involves mass production or niche applications.</li></ul>Epping also highlighted the importance of aligning the proposed solution with a clear use case. “There are two key paths: either creating a cost-effective product for mass production or designing a specialized, high-value solution that only chips can achieve, such as for satellites or harsh environments.”<h3 dir="ltr">Tips for Crafting a Strong Submission</h3>To make your entry shine, Epping recommends following a structured design journey:<ol><li dir="ltr">Sketch Your Idea: Begin with a clear schematic outlining the concept and its intended functionality.</li><li dir="ltr">Leverage Available Technologies: Identify components or technologies that can bring your concept to life. Consider whether using existing building blocks is feasible or if additional development is required.</li><li dir="ltr">Provide Evidence: Where possible, include simulations, calculations, or performance estimates to substantiate your idea.</li><li dir="ltr">Plan for Manufacturing: Consider the entire development chain, including packaging and testing. “If you don’t plan for these during the design phase, it may be too late to address them later,” Epping cautioned.</li></ol><h3 dir="ltr"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734347233028-AIM+Photonics+-+Photonic+Integrated+Circuits+1+%28PIC1%29+1-48+screenshot.png" width="602" height="339" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></h3>Image credit: AimPhotonics<h3 dir="ltr">Encouraging Future Innovators</h3>The Global Photonics Engineering Contest is not just about competition; it’s about fostering creativity and innovation in a field poised to transform industries. Epping encourages participants to explore new application areas for integrated photonics rather than competing in highly saturated markets like telecommunications.For aspiring engineers or those looking to pivot into photonics, Epping’s advice is simple: “Stay curious. Focus on developing a solid understanding of the fundamentals, and don’t be afraid to explore uncharted territories.”<h3 dir="ltr">Why This Contest Stands Out</h3><blockquote>“What makes this contest special is the opportunity to see truly out-of-the-box ideas,” Epping said. “It’s about sparking creativity and bridging the gap between concept and commercialization.”</blockquote>With insights like these, participants are well-equipped to craft compelling submissions that showcase not only their technical prowess but also their ability to innovate and solve real-world problems. As Epping and his fellow jury members review the entries, they’ll be looking for projects that embody the transformative potential of photonics.<h3 dir="ltr">Final tips for entrants</h3><ol data-stringify-type="ordered-list" data-list-tree="true" data-indent="0" data-border="0"><li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">Apply before December 31 to receive personalized feedback from the PhotonDelta team.</li><li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">Ensure your entry is legible and conveys your ideas as succinctly and clearly as possible.</li><li data-stringify-indent="0" data-stringify-border="0">Don’t be afraid to reach out. We are here to answer any of your content questions. Just email us at:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" data-stringify-link="mailto:challenges@wevolver.com" data-sk="tooltip_parent" href="mailto:challenges@wevolver.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="isPasted">challenges@wevolver.com</a></li></ol>Good luck to all participants, and may your ideas shine as brightly as the photonic innovations they inspire!<h1 dir="ltr">Global Photonics Engineering Contest</h1><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1734529513573-1734529513573.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a>The Global Photonics Engineering Contest invites engineers, innovators, and startups to push the boundaries of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) and create applications that address complex engineering challenges and push the boundaries of the industry. Whether you’re in semiconductors, data &amp; telecom, medtech, or agritech, we want to see your breakthrough idea that can harness the power of PICs to change the world.<ul><li dir="ltr">Prize:&nbsp;€50,000 worth of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to to make your idea market-ready + a chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding.</li><li dir="ltr">Audience: Open to all engineers, researchers, OEMs, hardware manufacturers, startups/scale-ups, research teams, and students working on innovative PIC applications.</li><li dir="ltr">Early Bird Opportunity: All submissions received by 31st December 2024, will receive&nbsp;personalized feedback from PhotonDelta engineers.</li><li dir="ltr">End date: March 3rd 2025</li></ul><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics" class="button-main-action">Submit now!</a>

As part of our spotlight on the contest’s jury members, we had the privilege of speaking with Jörn Epping, Epiphany's co-founder and an integrated photonics expert. 

Tips and Insights from the Global Photonics Engineering Contest Jury

Integrated Photonics, the technology that uses light to power and transmit information, is transforming industries from telecommunications to healthcare. As the demand for high-speed, energy-efficient devices grows, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), also known as photonic chips, are paving the way for a new era in tech. Similar to electronic circuits but with photons instead of electrons, PICs enable the miniaturisation and acceleration of processes across sectors, making them a cornerstone of future innovations.<a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/photonic-integrated-circuit-market-107051#:~:text=The%20global%20photonic%20integrated%20circuit,20.8%25%20during%20the%20forecast%20period.">With a global PIC market poised to reach 65 billion by 2030,</a> there’s a pressing need for skilled professionals who are passionate about contributing to this field. Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or an experienced engineer looking for a career pivot, opportunities in PICs span across design, research, development, packaging, and manufacturing.<h2 dir="ltr">Understanding Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs)</h2>Photonic Integrated Circuits combine multiple optical functions—like lasers, detectors, and modulators—onto a single chip. This integration results in smaller, faster, and more efficient devices, opening new possibilities in applications such as high-speed internet, advanced medical diagnostics, and data processing.In this article, we discuss the pathways to a career in integrated photonics, whether you are a bachelor's student or an established engineer. We highlight the work PhotonDelta is doing to help create a robust PIC industry.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/an-introduction-to-integrated-photonics">Read more about PICs here.</a><h1 dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMzNzQ0MzQzNzc3LXBob3RvbiBkZWx0YSAtIE5PVyBMSVZFICgxOTIwIHggNTAwIHB4KS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></a></h1><h1 dir="ltr">Why start a career in PICs:</h1>Building a career in PICS represents a chance to make a mark in a relatively new industry. It offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on sustainable and energy-efficient technologies and solutions. This booming sector has tremendous growth potential across various application areas. Furthermore, you'll get to work in an interdisciplinary and innovative environment.<h2 dir="ltr">Finding your path to a career in Integrated Photonics as a student</h2>A recommended route into PICs is through degrees in engineering, optics, or telecommunications. Programs in electrical engineering, applied physics, and optical sciences offer a strong foundation, with many universities now offering specialised courses in photonics. Further,&nbsp;Mechanical Engineering or Materials Engineering backgrounds are strong favoured in the PIC industry because topics like packaging and assembly of the PIC are very important.For engineers who have completed bachelor's degrees, pursuing a master's in a Photonics program is a solid way to establish a degree in photonics.&nbsp;PhotonDelta and Optics Netherlands recently launched the '<a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/education/graduate-school/masterplus-optics-photonics#:~:text=A%20Master%20with%20an%20additional%20Plus%20in%20Optics%20%26%20Photonics&text=The%20MasterPlus%20offers%20an%20extra,driving%20scientific%20and%20societal%20change.">MasterPlus Programme in Optics and Photonics' (MPOP).</a> This initiative, in collaboration with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), and the University of Twente (UT), introduces a specialisation within existing master's programs in Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering. MPOP aims to bridge academic expertise with industry needs, offering students the flexibility to attend courses across different campuses and engage in inter-university activities.&nbsp;Participants will have opportunities for internships with leading companies like ASML, Signify, SMART Photonics, and LioniX International, as well as collaborations with research institutes such as SRON and imec. The program seeks to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the optics and photonics sector, contributing to the Netherlands' position as a global innovation hub in this field. Learn more about the program <a href="https://www.mpop-programme.com/">here</a>.For those already in the workforce, there are various reskilling programs supported by the industry, allowing professionals from other technical backgrounds to leverage their existing skills while gaining new, PIC-specific knowledge.<h2 dir="ltr">Exploring Career Roles in PICs</h2>Whether coming through traditional education routes or via reskilling programs PIC careers offer diverse roles for innovators and problem-solvers alike:<ul><li dir="ltr">Photonics Engineers&nbsp;design and develop the optical components that power PICs.</li><li dir="ltr">Research Scientists&nbsp;push the boundaries of photonics knowledge through experimentation.</li><li dir="ltr">System Designers&nbsp;integrate PICs into broader applications, such as telecom systems.</li><li dir="ltr">Product Managers and Application Engineers&nbsp;work closely with clients to adapt PIC solutions to specific needs.</li></ul><h1 dir="ltr">PhotonDelta’s Role in Shaping Careers in PICs</h1>PhotonDelta supports a global end-to-end ecosystem of photonic chip companies that designs, develops, and manufactures innovative solutions that contribute to a better world.They promote the global adoption of photonic integrated chips by engaging with a diverse range of industries and the academic community.&nbsp;PhotonDelta's Human Capital Program aims to bridge the gap between current and future talent and the needs of the integrated photonics industry. The program focuses on two main objectives:<ol><li dir="ltr">Increasing the attractiveness of a career in integrated photonics: This involves creating a strong industry brand, raising awareness among students at various educational levels, building a community of photonic chip enthusiasts, and implementing marketing activities to attract both national and international talent.</li><li dir="ltr">Expanding the quality and size of the integrated photonics talent pool: PhotonDelta supports educational institutions and training providers to offer comprehensive study programs and reskilling courses. Initiatives include summer schools, challenge-based learning, specialised master's programs, hackathons, and online training sessions.</li><li dir="ltr">Creating employee engagement and loyalty, contributing to talent retention within the industry</li><li dir="ltr">By creating an environment where professionals can learn, collaborate, and grow, the industry sets the foundation for long-term success and positions itself as a leader in the global photonics sector. PhotonDelta initiates expert communities and industry partner meetings to ensure that employees feel welcome and appreciated, keeping talents in the industry.&nbsp;</li></ol>To achieve these goals, PhotonDelta curates and creates pivotal talent market data to inform strategic initiatives. It serves as a connector within its ecosystem, facilitating collaboration among companies, research institutes, and educational institutions. Through strategic investments, PhotonDelta aims to accelerate scalable initiatives that attract and retain talent in the integrated photonics industry.&nbsp;They endeavour to&nbsp;foster a strong photonics community and promote career development in PICs through several key initiatives:<ul><li dir="ltr">Collaborations with Academic Institutions: PhotonDelta partners with universities and technical schools to develop curricula and summer schools tailored to integrated photonics, ensuring students receive industry-relevant education.</li><li dir="ltr">Career Opportunities through PhotonJobs: The<a href="http://www.photonjobs.nl">&nbsp;PhotonJobs platform</a> connects job seekers with leading photonics companies looking for skilled engineers, researchers, and developers.</li><li dir="ltr">Talent outreach activities: PhotonDelta organizes and participates in several activities to introduce talent with a career in the Photonic Chip Industry such as career events, supporting student teams and study associations and offering an introduction to the world of (integrated) photonics already at a young age. &nbsp; &nbsp;</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr">Building a Sustainable Future in Photonics</h3>PhotonDelta’s long-term goal is to create a sustainable talent pipeline for the photonic chip ecosystem by developing comprehensive programs across all educational levels. Through partnerships with industry leaders and educational institutions, PhotonDelta supports the growth of a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of the evolving photonics landscape.By joining this exciting field, you can play a role in transforming how the world uses light to shape the future of technology. Whether through PhotonDelta's training programs, industry events, or job platform, there are many pathways to a fulfilling career in photonics. Take the first step today and become part of the photonic chip revolution.<hr><h2 id="isPasted">The Global Photonics Engineering Contest is now live!</h2>The Global Photonics Engineering Contest invites engineers, innovators, and startups to push the boundaries of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) and create applications that address complex engineering challenges and push the boundaries of the industry. Whether you’re in semiconductors, data &amp; telecom, medtech, or agritech, we want to see your breakthrough idea that can harness the power of PICs to change the world.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzMzNzQ0Mzc5NTIxLTE3MzM3NDQzNzk1MjEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></a><ul><li dir="ltr">Prize: €50,000 worth of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to to make your idea market-ready + a chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding.</li><li dir="ltr">Audience: Open to all engineers, researchers, OEMs, hardware manufacturers, startups/scale-ups, research teams, and students working on innovative PIC applications.</li><li dir="ltr">Early Bird Opportunity:&nbsp;All submissions received by 31st December 2024, will receive personalized feedback from PhotonDelta engineers.</li><li dir="ltr">End date: March 3rd 2025</li></ul><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics" class="button-main-action">ENTER THE CHALLENGE NOW</a>

Explore pathways to a career in Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for both students and engineers looking to reskill. 

Illuminating Your Path: Building a Career in Integrated Photonics

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are optical microchips that combine multiple optical functions to create an optical circuit. These chips can generate, manipulate, and detect light. Today, PICs are the backbone of high-speed internet as these chips offer high-speed optical connectivity with minimal energy consumption. There has been a growing interest in research and commercial applications for PICs for various markets, including medical technology (MedTech), as they offer compact optical solutions at a low cost when mass-produced.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Benefits for MedTech</h2>The most significant benefits of PICs for the development and deployment of innovative MedTech systems in healthcare include:<ul><li dir="ltr">High Sensitivity and Reliability: PIC-based biosensors exhibit high sensitivity and reliability. These features enable the deployment in areas such as point-of-care diagnostics, where accurate and rapid results are required for effective patient management.</li><li dir="ltr">Compactness and Miniaturization: PICs enable the development of compact and miniaturized devices, which is particularly advantageous for wearable health devices and lab-on-chip applications. This miniaturization results from the integration of complex optical functions into small form factor chips, which is key for the development of advanced diagnostic and monitoring technologies that are more user-friendly and more accessible.</li><li dir="ltr">Cost-Effectiveness: The integration of photonic components onto a single chip and ability to manufacture them on a large scale, significantly reduces the cost of a chip. Thus, use of PICs makes advanced medical technologies more affordable for widespread use.</li><li dir="ltr">Accelerated Performance: PICs offer improved performance characteristics such as low propagation losses, high power handling, and efficient integration of active components. These features are vital for the development, deployment and operation of high-performance imaging and sensing solutions in healthcare. The latter are enabling more precise diagnostics and better patient outcomes.</li><li dir="ltr">Versatility in Applications: PICs are very versatile and can be used in a wide range of MedTech applications, from biosensing and imaging to environmental monitoring in healthcare-related settings. This adaptability makes PICs capable of addressing diverse medical challenges.</li></ul>Overall, PICs are transforming MedTech based on innovative solutions that enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare technologies. Their ability to integrate multiple functions into single microsystems and devices makes them suitable for a wide range of advanced medical diagnostics and treatment applications.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1733744077828-photon+delta+-+NOW+LIVE+%281920+x+500+px%29.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></a><h2 dir="ltr">PIC-Enabled Transformative Applications in MedTech</h2>Some of the most prominent MedTech applications that are enabled by PICs include:<h3 dir="ltr">Advanced Diagnostics</h3>PICs are enhancing diagnostic capabilities through technologies like Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), which is a contactless imaging technique that is used for examining living tissue. OCT is a very useful tool for medical diagnostics thanks to its non-invasive imaging capabilities, which enable high-resolution images of biological tissues. PICs can be used to miniaturize OCT systems, making them more accessible and portable for widespread clinical use. For instance, one of the popular applications of OCT is the detection of tumors or eye disorders. Existing OCT equipment is however costly and bulky in size, which prevents the adoption and use of the technology outside hospitals. PICs can alleviate this limitation based on a significant reduction of the size and cost of the devices. Specifically, PICs enable the development of handheld OCT probes, which are based on lasers and detectors that are directly integrated onto the photonic chip.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr">Wearable Health Devices</h3>The miniaturization and integration capabilities of PICs make them ideal for the development and integration of wearable health devices. These devices can continuously monitor vital signs such as heart rate, oxygen levels, and glucose levels with high precision. The compact nature of PICs allows for the development of lightweight and comfortable wearables that provide real-time health monitoring. Commercial companies have demonstrated &nbsp;PIC-enabled systems for spectroscopic breath analysis. It can reveal diseases or metabolic disorders based on the detection of trace gases like methane and nitric oxide. In this direction, laser-based absorption spectroscopy is used to combine high sensitivity and high temporal resolution. The miniaturization and mass production offered by PICs can adopt this spectroscopic technique into handheld devices. In this context, commercial companies are attempting to demonstrate a sensor that can be mounted in a smartwatch to enable the monitoring of a range of different biomarkers.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr">Point of Care (PoC) Diagnostics</h3>As already outlined, PIC-enabled biosensors can be very efficient in detecting pathogens based on the measurement of changes in the refractive index of their waveguides. The main advantage of such methods is that the resulting measurements can be very accurate. Moreover, based on such devices it is possible to detect different pathogens using a single chip with only a single sample. As a prominent example, <a href="https://www.phix.com/">PHIX</a> provides the packaging for a PoC diagnostics biosensing platform, which is enabled by a PIC that comprises Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes. The latter are integrated within a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), along with protective layers. This packaging leads to a cost-effective disposable cartridge that can be integrated within a portable diagnostics device.As another example, <a href="https://bialoom.com/">Bialoom</a> integrates PICs in their proprietary silicon plasmo-photonic biosensor technology, which combines silicon photonics and plasmonics. This technology is used to create biochips embedded in disposable cartridges, designed for rapid and sensitive detection of biomarkers from blood samples. The primary application of Biabloom’s biochips is the diagnosis and treatment of severe infections, which provides a point-of-care diagnostic solution that enables quick and evidence-based medical decisions.<h3 dir="ltr">Optical Sensors in Minimally Invasive Surgeries&nbsp;</h3>Minimally invasive surgeries require precision and real-time feedback. PICs enable the development of sophisticated optical sensors that provide surgeons with critical information during procedures. For example, application-specific photonic integrated circuits (ASPICs) can offer haptic feedback to surgeons, which enhances their ability to perform delicate operations with greater accuracy.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1733744489308-robot+1.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The above-listed applications illustrate that the integration of PICs into MedTech goes beyond mere technological improvements. It enables a paradigm shift that is enabled by a combination of hardware, software and process related innovations (e.g., innovations in diagnostic operations). PIC-enabled solutions are more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable, which enables innovative healthcare solution integration.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Industry Leaders Insights on the Future of PIC-based MedTech&nbsp;</h2>Recent research initiatives have demonstrated the future of integrating PIC microsystems within MedTech devices and applications. For instance, Maarten Buijs, the CEO of <a href="https://www.surfixdx.com/">Surfix Diagnostics</a> envisions that <a href="https://www.phix.com/markets/medical-devices/">future photonic biochips will integrate both light sources and signal detectors to enable the next generation of point of care devices</a>.&nbsp;In the near future, PICs could be widely used to provide rapid laboratory testing results from simple samples (e.g., urine), which will boost timely diagnostics and more effective treatments. Likewise, PICs will reduce the cost of complexity of blood tests, which could transfer laboratory-level diagnostics at the point of care. As a prominent example, <a href="https://siphoxhealth.com/">SiPhox Health</a> has already developed a silicon photonic chip for <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siphox-health-introduces-worlds-first-lab-quality-home-blood-testing-platform-at-ces-301714545.html">home-based blood testing</a>, which enables an innovative approach to providing high-quality blood test results quickly and efficiently at home. The company’s solution can measure up to fifty biomarkers from home, which enables patients to gain insights on their heart health, check for inflammation, and access information about the functioning of their thyroid, metabolism, and hormones.There are also PICs applications in biological research beyond PoC diagnostics. As a prominent example, <a href="https://www.imec-int.com/en/articles/integrated-photonics-guiding-light-next-gen-medtech-tools">IMEC highlights the use of silicon nitride-based photonic platforms in medical applications</a>. These platforms could get a boost by the integration of III-V light sources into photonic circuits, which will enable medical tools such as fluorescence microscopy used in DNA sequencing and biological research. Relevant research focuses on the use of photonics on chips to create light interference patterns for very high-resolution <a href="https://www.olympus-lifescience.com/en/microscope-resource/primer/lightandcolor/fluoroexcitation/">fluorescent excitation</a>.&nbsp;Overall, recent advances in PICs and their integration in MedTech applications demonstrate the potential of this technology to transform healthcare. Nowadays, almost 27 years after the development of the<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925400597802547">&nbsp;first SiN PIC-based sensing devices</a>, there is a growing number of PIC applications that are already transforming diagnostic tools, enhancing wearable devices, and improving surgical outcomes. Most importantly, the precision, size, cost-effectiveness and non-invasive operations advantage of the technology make it an enabler for a whole range of novel healthcare applications that are hardly possible nowadays. In the years to come, it is highly likely that PICs enable innovative applications beyond what is available today, which will further revolutionize healthcare delivery.<hr><h2>The Global Photonics Engineering Contest is now live!</h2>The Global Photonics Engineering Contest invites engineers, innovators, and startups to push the boundaries of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) and create applications that address complex engineering challenges and push the boundaries of the industry. Whether you’re in semiconductors, data &amp; telecom, medtech, or agritech, we want to see your breakthrough idea that can harness the power of PICs to change the world.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1733741315174-Untitled+%281920+x+500+px%29+%281%29.png" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></a><ul><li dir="ltr">Prize: €50,000 worth of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to to make your idea market-ready + a chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding.</li><li dir="ltr">Audience: Open to all engineers, researchers, OEMs, hardware manufacturers, startups/scale-ups, research teams, and students working on innovative PIC applications.</li><li dir="ltr">Early Bird Opportunity:&nbsp;All submissions received by 31st December 2024, will receive personalized feedback from PhotonDelta engineers.</li><li dir="ltr">End date: March 3rd 2025</li></ul><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest?utm_source=photon+delta&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=photonics" class="button-main-action">ENTER THE CHALLENGE NOW</a><hr>

There has been a growing interest in research and commercial applications for PICs for various markets, including medical technology (MedTech), as they offer compact optical solutions at a low cost when mass-produced. 


Unlocking the Power of Photonic Integrated Circuits in MedTech

The deep neural network models that power today’s most demanding machine-learning applications have grown so large and complex that they are pushing the limits of traditional electronic computing hardware.Photonic hardware, which can perform machine-learning computations with light, offers a faster and more energy-efficient alternative. However, there are some types of neural network computations that a photonic device can’t perform, requiring the use of off-chip electronics or other techniques that hamper speed and efficiency.Building on a decade of research, scientists from MIT and elsewhere have developed a new photonic chip that overcomes these roadblocks. They demonstrated a fully integrated photonic processor that can perform all the key computations of a deep neural network optically on the chip.The optical device was able to complete the key computations for a machine-learning classification task in less than half a nanosecond while achieving more than 92 percent accuracy — performance that is on par with traditional hardware.The chip, composed of interconnected modules that form an optical neural network, is fabricated using commercial foundry processes, which could enable the scaling of the technology and its integration into electronics.In the long run, the photonic processor could lead to faster and more energy-efficient deep learning for computationally demanding applications like lidar, scientific research in astronomy and particle physics, or high-speed telecommunications.“There are a lot of cases where how well the model performs isn’t the only thing that matters, but also how fast you can get an answer. Now that we have an end-to-end system that can run a neural network in optics, at a nanosecond time scale, we can start thinking at a higher level about applications and algorithms,” says Saumil Bandyopadhyay ’17, MEng ’18, PhD ’23, a visiting scientist in the Quantum Photonics and AI Group within the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) and a postdoc at NTT Research, Inc., who is the lead author of a paper on the new chip.Bandyopadhyay is joined on the paper by Alexander Sludds ’18, MEng ’19, PhD ’23; Nicholas Harris PhD ’17; Darius Bunandar PhD ’19; Stefan Krastanov, a former RLE research scientist who is now an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Ryan Hamerly, a visiting scientist at RLE and senior scientist at NTT Research; Matthew Streshinsky, a former silicon photonics lead at Nokia who is now co-founder and CEO of Enosemi; Michael Hochberg, president of Periplous, LLC; and Dirk Englund, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, principal investigator of the Quantum Photonics and Artificial Intelligence Group and of RLE, and senior author of the paper. The research&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-024-01567-z" target="_blank">appears today in&nbsp;Nature Photonics</a>.<h2>Machine learning with light</h2>Deep neural networks are composed of many interconnected layers of nodes, or neurons, that operate on input data to produce an output. One key operation in a deep neural network involves the use of linear algebra to perform matrix multiplication, which transforms data as it is passed from layer to layer.But in addition to these linear operations, deep neural networks perform nonlinear operations that help the model learn more intricate patterns. Nonlinear operations, like activation functions, give deep neural networks the power to solve complex problems.In 2017, Englund’s group, along with researchers in the lab of Marin Soljačić, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.mit.edu/2017/new-system-allows-optical-deep-learning-0612" target="_blank">demonstrated an optical neural network on a single photonic chip</a> that could perform matrix multiplication with light.But at the time, the device couldn’t perform nonlinear operations on the chip. Optical data had to be converted into electrical signals and sent to a digital processor to perform nonlinear operations.“Nonlinearity in optics is quite challenging because photons don’t interact with each other very easily. That makes it very power consuming to trigger optical nonlinearities, so it becomes challenging to build a system that can do it in a scalable way,” Bandyopadhyay explains.They overcame that challenge by designing devices called nonlinear optical function units (NOFUs), which combine electronics and optics to implement nonlinear operations on the chip.The researchers built an optical deep neural network on a photonic chip using three layers of devices that perform linear and nonlinear operations.<h2>A fully-integrated network</h2>At the outset, their system encodes the parameters of a deep neural network into light. Then, an array of programmable beamsplitters, which was&nbsp;demonstrated&nbsp;in the 2017 paper, performs matrix multiplication on those inputs.The data then pass to programmable NOFUs, which implement nonlinear functions by siphoning off a small amount of light to photodiodes that convert optical signals to electric current. This process, which eliminates the need for an external amplifier, consumes very little energy.“We stay in the optical domain the whole time, until the end when we want to read out the answer. This enables us to achieve ultra-low latency,” Bandyopadhyay says.Achieving such low latency enabled them to efficiently train a deep neural network on the chip, a process known as in situ&nbsp;training that typically consumes a huge amount of energy in digital hardware.“This is especially useful for systems where you are doing in-domain processing of optical signals, like navigation or telecommunications, but also in systems that you want&nbsp;to learn in real time,” he says.The photonic system achieved more than 96 percent accuracy during training tests and more than 92 percent accuracy during inference, which is comparable to traditional hardware. In addition, the chip performs key computations in less than half a nanosecond. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;“This work demonstrates that computing — at its essence, the mapping of inputs to outputs — can be compiled onto new architectures of linear and nonlinear physics that enable a fundamentally different scaling law of computation versus effort needed,” says Englund.The entire circuit was fabricated using the same infrastructure and foundry processes that produce CMOS computer chips. This could enable the chip to be manufactured at scale, using tried-and-true techniques that introduce very little error into the fabrication process.Scaling up their device and integrating it with real-world electronics like cameras or telecommunications systems will be a major focus of future work, Bandyopadhyay says. In addition, the researchers want to explore algorithms that can leverage the advantages of optics to train systems faster and with better energy efficiency.

Researchers demonstrated a fully integrated photonic processor that can perform all key computations of a deep neural network optically on the chip, which could enable faster and more energy-efficient deep learning for computationally demanding applications like lidar or high-speed telecommunications. Image: Sampson Wilcox, Research Laboratory of Electronics.

This new device uses light to perform the key operations of a deep neural network on a chip, opening the door to high-speed processors that can learn in real-time.

Photonic processor could enable ultrafast AI computations with extreme energy efficiency

<section id="isPasted">The combination of light-based and electronic components on a single computer chip would have many benefits for our computing needs. Chips would be faster and consume less energy when using light. However, the problem with current silicon-based technologies is that they cannot emit light. TU/e full professor Erik Bakkers has big plans to change that, though. Along with colleagues at TU Munich and the University of Twente, the research team has just been awarded a €14 million ERC Synergy grant. €5 million will be used to back groundbreaking research at TU/e, with Bakkers coordinating the international project.</section><section tabindex="-1">“Light-emitting chips is the holy grail of future computing technologies – the realization of these chips could revolutionize computing technologies.”That’s how&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/erik-bakkers" target="_blank">Erik Bakkers</a> – Full Professor at the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education – views the promise of light-emitting microchips.<h3>SiGe holds the key</h3>To get to the promised land, though, a fundamental property of the materials used to make our microchips needs to change.“We must change how atoms are arranged relative to each other. In technical terms, we need to move away from the natural cubic structure of many materials to one that is based on the hexagonal arrangement of atoms. If we achieve this, the materials will be able to emit light.”This is the central goal of the project ‘Bright Chips’, a collaboration between Bakkers, Professor Floris Zwanenburg from the University of Twente, and Professor Jonathan Finley from the Technical University of Munich. The project has just received significant funding to the tune of €14 million as part of the ERC Synergy grant initiative.The material of choice for the ‘Bright Chips’ project is silicon germanium (SiGe) – an alloy that has been shown in recent years to have the suitable properties to emit light.<h3>Three’s not a crowd</h3>“We want to understand how and why SiGe emits light, both from a classical and quantum physics perspectives,” says Bakkers. “Our project is a truly multidisciplinary project which combines the worlds of materials science, photonics, and electronics. And each member of the ‘Bright Chips’ project team will focus on one of these three topics.”At TU/e, the Bakkers’ team will fabricate a new material system based on hexagonal SiGe. Thereafter, the team at TU Munich led by Jonathan Finley will characterize the new SiGe material, and using the material, they plan to demonstrate single photon emitters and lasers.Finally, at the University of Twente, Floris Zwanenburg’s group will fabricate and measure the performance of electronic devices that incorporate the SiGe light-emitting components.“A major milestone or goal for Bright Chips is to study optically-connected SiGe-spin qubits. These can be quickly changed, upscaled, and they are expected to be long-lived due to the unique properties of the materials we will work with,” says Bakkers. “We’re excited to get started with the project!”<h3 id="isPasted">Making blood cells</h3>The second project with TU/e involvement to get an ERC Synergy grant is ‘MakingBlood’.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/cecilia-sahlgren" target="_blank">Cecilia Sahlgren</a>, a part-time Full Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and mainly based at Åbo Akademi University in Finland, is one of the four principal investigators on the project.“MakingBlood is seeking to make human blood stem cells (also known as hematopoietic stem cells) using human pluripotent stem cells,” says Sahlgren. “At present, blood stem cells are collected from donors.”“However, too often, a suitable stem cell donor cannot be found. We will explore the cellular, molecular, and physical features that are important for the generation of blood stem cells. Lessons learned here will be used to make blood cells in the lab using a dedicated&nbsp;in vitro setup.”TU/e will play two roles in the project. First, researchers will manufacture a high throughput approach to control flow with magnetic cilia, which will be used to build the embryonic niches that are important for the formation of blood stem cells in the human embryo.This will be done in collaboration with&nbsp;<a href="https://research.tue.nl/en/persons/ye-wang" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Ye Wang</a>, who is based in the group of Jaap den Toonder at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.Second, researchers will create&nbsp;in vitro models of the embryonic niches where blood stem cells are formed in the embryo. The ‘MakingBlood’ project is coordinated by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, by Professor Anna Bigas.The other principal investigators are Gerald de Haan, Research Director of Sanquin, the Dutch Blood Bank, and Dr Cristina Pina, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at Brunel University.<hr><h3 id="isPasted">About the ERC Synergy Grant</h3>A group of two to a maximum of four Principal Investigators (PIs) working together and bringing different skills and resources to tackle ambitious research problems. &nbsp;One will be designated as the corresponding PI (cPI).No specific eligibility criteria regarding the academic training&nbsp;are foreseen for ERC Synergy Grants.PI’s must present a competitive track record that is appropriate to their career stage. Proposals are evaluated on the sole criterion of scientific excellence , which takes on the additional meaning of outstanding intrinsic synergetic effect.</section>

Nemea computer chip with light coming out of it. Image: Created by Jason Jung using Midjourney v4

The first project is developing light-based chips to bridge the gap between photonics and electronics. The second project plans to make blood cells using blood stem cells. The two projects are the first ERC Synergy grants for TU/e.

ERC Synergy grants for cutting-edge light-based chips and for blood cells

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html/" target="_blank">Six in 10</a> Americans are living with at least one chronic disease, and four in 10 Americans have two or more chronic diseases. Some of those diseases, such as hypothyroidism and inflammatory diseases, require individuals to carefully track certain blood tests in order to manage their conditions. Unfortunately, that usually means an onerous cycle of scheduling appointments, traveling to hospitals, and waiting for lab results.Now SiPhox Health is working to help patients and their doctors manage diseases from the comfort of their home with a new kind of blood test based on a silicon photonic chip. The system is the size of a coffee maker and can produce precise readings for 20 different biomarkers.The chip-based device is not yet FDA-cleared, so it is currently only being used for research purposes, but SiPhox also provides mail-in blood testing to thousands of people with chronic diseases, both directly and through other health care and wellness businesses, using approved technology. The company hopes its new system can soon deliver faster results to every home that needs it.“A lot of blood tests aren’t done because they're too inconvenient,” SiPhox founder and former MIT researcher Michael Dubrovsky says. “People skip scheduled blood tests, and physicians don’t always prescribe blood tests because they know it’s inconvenient. That requires them to base their decisions on symptoms, and that’s not optimal for many of these chronic diseases.”Dubrovsky and SiPhox co-founder Diedrik Vermeulen met at MIT while researching photonic chip and laser technology. They see SiPhox’s technology as the latest in a long trend toward smaller and more scalable devices as they are condensed onto integrated chips.“Biolabs typically do blood testing with these large instruments that are full of optics, lasers, lenses, mirrors, and all these very expensive features,” Vermeulen says. “We don’t change any of the main features. We leave all the optics the same, but we miniaturize it onto our chips and make it so scalable that you can ship it to homes. It’s like how computers used to be the size of a room and you could only find them in high-end universities — now they’re all on a chip. We’re doing the same for blood testing.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1731976955976-MIT-SiPhox-03-press.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">"We can offer a new way for people to access health care in their home," Vermeulen says. Pictured is an example of the package sent to clients. Image: Courtesy of SiPhox Health<h2>Photonic chips with electric properties</h2>Dubrovsky and Vermeulen met through the MIT ecosystem in 2019. Vermeulen had worked in MIT’s Silicon Photonics Group within the Research Laboratory of Electronics and Dubrovsky was working in the MIT Materials for Micro and Nano Systems group.The two quickly bonded over a new way to approach optical chips.“We had this idea of doing optical chips more like a printed circuit board,” Vermeulen explains. “Electrical chips incorporate a lot of chips on one circuit board, but optical chips typically do everything with a single chip. We wanted to combine optical chips into a new kind of circuit board.”The founders met regularly in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship to refine their approach. In February of 2020, they started filing patents and receiving guidance from MIT professors. They also entered the START.nano program, which helps early-stage companies accelerate their innovations by giving them access to MIT.nano’s laboratories and equipment.The same lasers that are used to mass produce traditional silicon chips can be used to manufacture SiPhox’s integrated photonic silicon chips. Each 1-millimeter chip contains lenses, polarizers, modulators, splitters, and other optical components you’d see in a traditional lab-based system, but SiPhox’s chips are cheap enough to be single-use.Just as the founders were deciding on the first application for their new chip, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. They took that as a sign.“We decided to focus on biosensing, with one of our chips being disposable and the other one being reusable,” Vermeulen says.The founders worked to detect infectious disease with their chips but realized the technology was better suited for high-fidelity blood testing.“I worked a lot on tunable lasers at MIT, and we use a slightly different approach to lasers at SiPhox,” Vermeulen says. “We applied all of the lessons we learned at MIT to design something from scratch.”SiPhox’s chip testing system works with third-party arm patches that people already use to collect blood samples at home. Dubrovsky likens the system to a Nespresso machine in which users simply place a pod into the machine and press a button. Each of SiPhox’s disposable cartridges contains an array of photonic immunoassay sensors that can be used to detect specific proteins or hormones.The system includes a dashboard that can be viewed by a physician or the patient themselves to get biomarker data at home. The dashboard also provides historic data and educational content about the biomarkers measured. SiPhox also uses large language models to parse third-party blood test data, allowing users to track traditional blood tests in the same dashboard.Because the approach makes use of semiconductor lasers and silicon chips, the founders say a single traditional chip manufacturing facility, or fab, could produce 1 billion of SiPhox’s chips every month.“Our technology is very scalable because it’s all on a chip,” Vermeulen says. “There are only two ways to really scale something: You can do injection molding; that’s how you produce billions of plastic cups, for instance. But if you want to scale something very complex, you have to put it on a silicon chip.”<h2>A platform for health</h2>The founders believe their technology could enable a world where tracking biomarkers is as easy as brushing your teeth. That would have huge implications for the tens of millions of Americans who need to get regular blood tests to manage chronic diseases.“For people with inflammatory diseases, tracking inflammation levels is very important because they can develop resistance to their medicine,” Dubrovsky says. “Once they experience symptoms of a flare-up, it’s very hard to reverse. And these symptoms can be horrible, so catching it early is really important.”To gain FDA clearance, SiPhox plans to begin studies in coming months, but its system’s accuracy has already been validated by third parties, and the company’s Burlington, Massachusetts, facility is capable of manufacturing about 10,000 of its cartridges per month.Once SiPhox gains FDA clearance, it plans to partner with health care systems, health insurers, employers, and mail-in blood testing companies to help people everywhere track their health.“We can offer a new way for people to access health care in their home,” Vermeulen says. “Once they have our blood testing device, whether for a chronic disease or something else, anytime they want telehealth-enabled by blood testing, they can use our device, similar to how Apple users have access to third-party apps from many different service providers. Siphox users will have access to curated third-party services built on top of the core blood testing capability.”

SiPhox Health is working to help patients and their doctors manage diseases from the comfort of their home with a new kind of blood test based on a silicon photonic chip. Image: Courtesy of SiPhox Health

The startup SiPhox, founded by two former MIT researchers, has developed an integrated photonic chip for high-quality, home-based blood testing.

Bringing lab testing to the home

<html><head></head><body>The future of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) is brighter than ever, and the Global Photonics Engineering Contest is set to drive this momentum forward. Hosted together by PhotonDelta and Wevolver, this contest calls on tech-savvy engineers and innovators to tackle the engineering challenges of tomorrow. Launched against the backdrop of this year’s PIC Summit, which saw over 700 industry leaders, including government officials, semiconductor experts, and photonics professionals to discuss the future of the photonic chip industry, the contest underscores the urgent need to advance photonic chip technologies to address critical societal challenges.<h2 dir="ltr">The Global Photonics Engineering Challenge: Driving Innovation</h2>The Global Photonics Engineering Challenge is a pioneering contest that is shaping the future of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) engineering. Hosted by PhotonDelta, an industry accelerator of the development of the photonic chip ecosystem, and Wevolver, a platform dedicated to democratizing engineering innovation, the contest highlights the critical role photonics will play in the future of multiple industries. It is further supported by key actors in the integrated photonics industry: imec, PHIX Photonics Assembly, SMART Photonics, BRIGHT integrated Photonics, Epiphany, and LioniX International.The challenge invites participants to design groundbreaking PIC-based solutions across a broad spectrum of industries, from telecommunications and medical devices to quantum computing and environmental monitoring. With the competition focusing on next-generation PICs, participants are encouraged to explore practical applications that could redefine the technological landscape.Winners will not only gain €50,000 of services from the PhotonDelta ecosystem to make their idea market-ready and a chance to receive up to €2 million in pre-seed funding, but will also have the opportunity to get recognition among the global photonics community and collaborate with industry leaders to develop their idea.&nbsp;The competition is open for applications from now until the 3rd of March for any one from startups, established companies, engineers, researchers, students, and academic organizations working on next-generation photonic circuits that tackle pressing societal challenges in areas such as sustainability, healthcare and climate change.&nbsp;This challenge is more than a contest—it’s a way to help shape the future of technology, enabling engineers to demonstrate the potential of PICs in addressing critical societal and industrial challenges.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id="isPasted" class="button-main-action">Read more and apply</a><h3 dir="ltr">Why the Challenge Matters</h3>This year's PIC Summit highlighted the need for innovation and collaboration to continue advancing the applications of integrated photonics, &nbsp;as it is rapidly becoming a critical component in many industries, thanks to its ability to provide ultra-fast data transmission, energy-efficient computing, and compact hardware. However, the design and integration of PICs remain complex. Engineers must overcome significant challenges related to fabrication, power consumption, and scalability. The Global Photonics Engineering Challenge serves as a platform for innovators to present creative solutions to these challenges while showcasing the untapped potential of photonic technologies.For engineers, this challenge offers an opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology, collaborate with leading professionals, and contribute to transformative solutions. It highlights the critical role that PIC engineering plays in solving global problems and drives home the importance of continuing advancements in this field.<h2 dir="ltr">Key Highlights and Insights from PIC Summit 2024</h2>The&nbsp;PIC Summit 2024&nbsp;was a hub of cutting-edge discussions, bringing together over 700 leaders from governments, the semiconductor industry, and the photonic chip sector. The focus of the summit was to explore how photonics can drive the next wave of technological advancements. Leaders emphasized the need for greater European cooperation to remain competitive in the global market and stressed the importance of government support to fuel innovation.<h3 dir="ltr">Three Key Themes from This Year’s PIC Summit:</h3><ol><li dir="ltr">Industry Roadmaps and Trends: Discussions on the global photonics roadmap provided valuable insights into where the industry is headed. Experts delved into the latest advancements in materials, fabrication techniques, and applications that are driving the photonic sector forward.</li><li dir="ltr">The Role of Startups and SMEs: This year's PIC Summit highlighted the crucial role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in pushing the boundaries of PIC technology. The summit saw several sessions where start ups pitch their applications in biosensing, quantum computing and imaging.</li><li dir="ltr">Quantum Computing and Photonics: With the rise of quantum computing, photonics is being explored as a viable technology to enable the creation of quantum bits (qubits) at scale. Sessions dedicated to this topic revealed how photonics could overcome current quantum computing challenges, particularly in scaling and error correction.</li></ol><h3 dir="ltr">Be a Part of The Future of Photonic Integrated Circuit Engineering: Apply to the Global Photonics Engineering Challenge</h3>The PIC Summit 2024 and the&nbsp;Global Photonics Engineering Challenge&nbsp;represent a monumental shift in how the world views photonic integrated circuits. As governments, industries, and engineers come together to drive the next wave of photonic innovation, the future holds immense potential for transformative applications in a variety of fields.For engineers, this is an exciting time. Whether you are involved in telecommunications, computing, healthcare, or environmental technologies, photonic integrated circuits are set to change the game. The&nbsp;Global Photonics Engineering Challenge&nbsp;offers a unique opportunity to contribute to this revolution while gaining recognition in an industry that is poised for exponential growth.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/global-photonics-engineering-contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="button-main-action">&nbsp;Read more and apply</a></body></html>

Industry Leaders Emphasize the Role of Innovation and Cooperation in Developing Integrated Photonic Applications to Address Societal Challenges.

The Future of Photonics: Global Engineering Challenge Officially Launced at PIC Summit 2024

MIT researchers have developed a miniature, chip-based “tractor beam,” like the one that captures the Millennium Falcon&nbsp;in the film “Star Wars,” that could someday help biologists and clinicians study DNA, classify cells, and investigate the mechanisms of disease.Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the device uses a beam of light emitted by a silicon-photonics chip to manipulate particles millimeters away from the chip surface. The light can penetrate the glass cover slips that protect samples used in biological experiments, enabling cells to remain in a sterile environment.Traditional optical tweezers, which trap and manipulate particles using light, usually require bulky microscope setups, but chip-based optical tweezers could offer a more compact, mass manufacturable, broadly accessible, and high-throughput solution for optical manipulation in biological experiments.However, other similar integrated optical tweezers can only capture and manipulate cells that are very close to or directly on the chip surface. This contaminates the chip and can stress the cells, limiting compatibility with standard biological experiments.Using a system called an integrated optical phased array, the MIT researchers have developed a new modality for integrated optical tweezers that enables trapping and tweezing of cells more than a hundred times further away from the chip surface.“This work opens up new possibilities for chip-based optical tweezers by enabling trapping and tweezing of cells at much larger distances than previously demonstrated. It’s exciting to think about the different applications that could be enabled by this technology,” says Jelena Notaros, the Robert J. Shillman Career Development Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics.Joining Notaros on the paper are lead author and EECS graduate student Tal Sneh; Sabrina Corsetti, an EECS graduate student; Milica Notaros PhD ’23; Kruthika Kikkeri PhD ’24; and Joel Voldman, the William R. Brody Professor of EECS. The research&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52273-x" target="_blank">appears today in&nbsp;Nature Communications</a>.<h2>A new trapping modality</h2>Optical traps and tweezers use a focused beam of light to capture and manipulate tiny particles. The forces exerted by the beam will pull microparticles toward the intensely focused light in the center, capturing them. By steering the beam of light, researchers can pull the microparticles along with it, enabling them to manipulate tiny objects using noncontact forces.However, optical tweezers traditionally require a large microscope setup in a lab, as well as multiple devices to form and control light, which limits where and how they can be utilized.“With silicon photonics, we can take this large, typically lab-scale system and integrate it onto a chip. This presents a great solution for biologists, since it provides them with optical trapping and tweezing functionality without the overhead of a complicated bulk-optical setup,” Notaros says.But so far, chip-based optical tweezers have only been capable of emitting light very close to the chip surface, so these prior devices could only capture particles a few microns off the chip surface. Biological specimens are typically held in sterile environments using glass cover slips that are about 150 microns thick, so the only way to manipulate them with such a chip is to take the cells out and place them on its surface.However, that leads to chip contamination. Every time a new experiment is done, the chip has to be thrown away and the cells need to be put onto a new chip.To overcome these challenges, the MIT researchers developed a silicon photonics chip that emits a beam of light that focuses about 5 millimeters above its surface. This way, they can capture and manipulate biological particles that remain inside a sterile cover slip, protecting both the chip and particles from contamination.<h2>Manipulating light</h2>The researchers accomplish this using a system called an integrated optical phased array. This technology involves a series of microscale antennas fabricated on a chip using semiconductor manufacturing processes. By electronically controlling the optical signal emitted by each antenna, researchers can shape and steer the beam of light emitted by the chip.Motivated by long-range applications like lidar, most prior integrated optical phased arrays weren’t designed to generate the tightly focused beams needed for optical tweezing. The MIT team discovered that, by creating specific phase patterns for each antenna, they could form an intensely focused beam of light, which can be used for optical trapping and tweezing millimeters from the chip’s surface.“No one had created silicon-photonics-based optical tweezers capable of trapping microparticles over a millimeter-scale distance before. This is an improvement of several orders of magnitude higher compared to prior demonstrations,” says Notaros.By varying the wavelength of the optical signal that powers the chip, the researchers could steer the focused beam over a range larger than a millimeter and with microscale accuracy.To test their device, the researchers started by trying to capture and manipulate tiny polystyrene spheres. Once they succeeded, they moved on to trapping and tweezing cancer cells provided by the Voldman group.“There were many unique challenges that came up in the process of applying silicon photonics to biophysics,” Sneh adds.The researchers had to determine how to track the motion of sample particles in a semiautomated fashion, ascertain the proper trap strength to hold the particles in place, and effectively postprocess data, for instance.In the end, they were able to show the first cell experiments with single-beam optical tweezers.Building off these results, the team hopes to refine the system to enable an adjustable focal height for the beam of light. They also want to apply the device to different biological systems and use multiple trap sites at the same time to manipulate biological particles in more complex ways.“This is a very creative and important paper in many ways,” says Ben Miller, Dean’s Professor of Dermatology and professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester, who was not involved with this work. “For one, given that silicon photonic chips can be made at low cost, it potentially democratizes optical tweezing experiments. That may sound like something that only would be of interest to a few scientists, but in reality having these systems widely available will allow us to study fundamental problems in single-cell biophysics in ways previously only available to a few labs given the high cost and complexity of the instrumentation. I can also imagine many applications where one of these devices (or possibly an array of them) could be used to improve the sensitivity of disease diagnostic.”

This chip-based "tractor-beam," which uses an intensely focused beam of light to capture and manipulate biological particles without damaging the cells, could help biologists study the mechanisms of diseases. Credit: Sampson Wilcox, RLE

The tiny device uses a tightly focused beam of light to capture and manipulate cells.

MIT engineers create a chip-based tractor beam for biological particles

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have shown for the first time in Germany how so-called tin defects in diamonds can be controlled very precisely using microwaves. These defects have special optical and magnetic properties and can be used as qubits: the smallest computing units for quantum computers and quantum communication. The results are an important step towards the development of powerful quantum computers and secure quantum communication networks. The researchers report in the journal Physical Review X (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.14.031036).Quantum computers and quantum communication are considered to be pioneering technologies for much faster and more secure data processing and transmission compared to classical computers. The basic information units in quantum computers are qubits, the quantum mechanical equivalent of bits in conventional data processing.While in classical digital communication, for example, laser pulses in a fiber optic cable transport information from A to B, quantum mechanics uses individual photons, which in principle makes the exchange of information secure against eavesdropping. Optically addressable qubits, i.e. qubits that can be controlled or read out using light, are suitable for storing the information in the photons and processing it in quantum computers. These can store and process the quantum states and absorb and release them in the form of photons.<h2>The key point is the stability of the qubits</h2>One of the biggest challenges in developing qubits is to extend their coherence time, i.e. the time in which they can stably store information. The extent to which efficient and scalable quantum computers can be developed depends crucially on whether it is possible to control qubits and keep them stable in such a way that their properties can be used in practice.Doctoral students Ioannis Karapatzakis and Jeremias Resch at the KIT Institute of Physics investigated how a special diamond defect, the so-called tin vacancy center (SnV), can be precisely controlled. The work was part of the projects "Quantum Repeater.Link (QR.X)" for secure fiber-based quantum communication and SPINNING, which is working towards a spin-photon-based diamond-based quantum computer, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.&nbsp;"A defect in the lattice structure of the carbon atoms of a diamond occurs when atoms are missing or replaced by other atoms, such as tin," explains Karapatzakis. Such defects can be used as qubits for quantum communication because they have special optical and magnetic properties that allow their states, such as the electron spin, to be specifically manipulated using light or microwaves. This can make the defects usable as stable qubits that can store and process information and couple it to photons.&nbsp;<h2>Coherence times could be significantly improved</h2>The diamond qubits have the advantage of being in solid form. This makes them easier to handle than other quantum materials such as atoms in a vacuum. By controlling them with microwaves, Karapatzakis and Resch managed to precisely influence the electron spins of the tin vacancy center qubits and make this visible. "We were able to significantly improve the coherence times of the SnV centers in diamond to up to ten milliseconds," says Resch. This was achieved using the method of dynamic decoupling, which largely minimizes interference factors. Another special feature is that the two doctoral students were able to show for the first time that this type of diamond defect can be controlled very efficiently using superconducting waveguides: These guide the microwaves efficiently to the defects without generating heat. "This is of great importance because these defects are generally researched at very low temperatures close to absolute zero. Increased temperatures would render the qubits unusable," says Karapatzakis."In order to establish communication between two users or, in the future, two quantum computers, I have to be able to transfer the quantum states of the qubit to photons," explains Resch. "By optically reading out the qubit and achieving stable spectral properties, we were able to take an important step in this direction. Our results on controlling tin vacancy centers in diamonds therefore have the potential for an important breakthrough in the further development of secure and efficient quantum communication."&nbsp;<hr>Original publicationIoannis Karapatzakis, Jeremias Resch, Marcel Schrodin, Philipp Fuchs, Michael Kieschnick, Julia Heupel, Luis Kussi, Christoph Sürgers, Cyril Popov, Jan Meijer, Christoph Becher, Wolfgang Wernsdorfer, David Hunger: Phys. Rev. X 14, 27 August 2024, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.14.031036" target="_blank">DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.14.031036</a>

The precise control of diamond qubits is a significant step in the development of quantum computers. (Image: Ioannis Karapatzakis, KIT)

Important breakthrough for the development of diamond-based quantum computers

Quantum Communication: Efficient Microwave Control of Diamond Qubits

Design the next generation application with Photonic Chips

Global Photonics Engineering Contest

CMOS and CCD sensors both convert light into electronic signals, with CMOS using pixel-level transistors for faster, energy-efficient processing, while CCD transfers charge across the chip for superior image quality but with slower speed and higher power consumption.

CCD vs CMOS Image Sensors: A Comprehensive Guide for Engineering Professionals

Researchers from ITMO University have <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01475" target="_blank" id="isPasted">developed</a> a system that can bind and control particles of light and matter. While the bound particles can become a more efficient and eco-friendly substitute for electricity, the device itself may serve as a foundation for advanced computers, communications means, and internet networks.The transition from electronic to photonic devices is one of the most promising and hotly debated technological scenarios in science today. Photonic devices are analogs of everyday devices, such as computers, that use the energy of light particles rather than electricity. Although photonic technology-based devices are more energy-efficient and eco-friendly, as well as faster at transferring and processing information, they are, on the other hand, fairly large when compared to their electronic counterparts. Furthermore, the complete shift would be an expensive and time-consuming process.Therefore, a team of scientists from ITMO University have found the middle ground between photonic and electronic devices. The developed system is controlled by both light and electricity and is powered by interconnected particles of light and excitons, which are bound electron-hole states that form upon the excitation of electrons. Such quasiparticles are known as exciton-polaritons. They are also called “liquid light” because they, on one hand, act as light particles and on the other – possess properties of matter, and can be controlled without much effort. Additionally, the connections between exciton-polaritons are greater than those between photons, making it easier to work with them.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1721610184120-1381703.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The device. Photo courtesy of the developersThe team developed a thin plate made of several layers. A photonic crystal – a tantalum oxide lattice covered with a three-atom-thick film of molybdenum diselenide – is placed on a silicon oxide substrate. The plate is activated by a laser beam. When light lands on the device, the lattice is pumped with photons, while electrons in molybdenum diselenide start to transition into an excited state and generate excitons. Then, the photons combine with the excitons and thus produce the said exciton-polaritons.&nbsp;<blockquote>“Our technology makes it possible to not only turn the device on and off, but also regulate two states of exciton-polaritons that correspond to various light wavelengths. The states can be activated simultaneously or independently with varying power. This can be achieved either via a laser beam or by altering the plate’s voltage. We’re also investigating how the states are triggered by voltage and laser power. Knowing that, we can understand when exciton-polaritons transition from one state to another. This is a step towards high-precision particle control,” explains Vasily Kravtsov, a senior researcher at ITMO's Faculty of Physics and an employee at the Frontier Laboratory "Functional Materials for Polaritonic Quantum Logic."</blockquote>The invention may be integrated into complex devices to decrease power consumption and enhance their operational efficiency. Among such devices are optical computers that are based on neural networks and can maximize the potential of AI. The technology can also serve as an interface for internet infrastructures. Additionally, it may become a part of optical regulators and modulators used to transmit and process data, as well as network switches, which transfer energy and direct it to a system’s components.&nbsp;The study was carried out within the Priority 2030 national program at the Frontier Laboratory “Functional Materials for Polaritonic Quantum Logic”

The device. Photo courtesy of the developers

Researchers from ITMO University have developed a system that can bind and control particles of light and matter.

Scientists Develop a Device to Control Light and Matter Quasiparticles

Imagine a portable 3D printer you could hold in the palm of your hand. The tiny device could enable a user to rapidly create customized, low-cost objects on the go, like a fastener to repair a wobbly bicycle wheel or a component for a critical medical operation.Researchers from MIT and the University of Texas at Austin took a major step toward making this idea a reality by demonstrating the first chip-based 3D printer. Their proof-of-concept device consists of a single, millimeter-scale photonic chip that emits reconfigurable beams of light into a well of resin that cures into a solid shape when light strikes it.The prototype chip has no moving parts, instead relying on an array of tiny optical antennas to steer a beam of light. The beam projects up into a liquid resin that has been designed to rapidly cure when exposed to the beam’s wavelength of visible light.By combining silicon photonics and photochemistry, the interdisciplinary research team was able to demonstrate a chip that can steer light beams to 3D print arbitrary two-dimensional patterns, including the letters M-I-T. Shapes can be fully formed in a matter of seconds.In the long run, they envision a system where a photonic chip sits at the bottom of a well of resin and emits a 3D hologram of visible light, rapidly curing an entire object in a single step.This type of portable 3D printer could have many applications, such as enabling clinicians to create tailor-made medical device components or allowing engineers to make rapid prototypes at a job site.“This system is completely rethinking what a 3D printer is. It is no longer a big box sitting on a bench in a lab creating objects, but something that is handheld and portable. It is exciting to think about the new applications that could come out of this and how the field of 3D printing could change,” says senior author Jelena Notaros, the Robert J. Shillman Career Development Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics.Joining Notaros on the paper are Sabrina Corsetti, lead author and EECS graduate student; Milica Notaros PhD ’23; Tal Sneh, an EECS graduate student; Alex Safford, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin; and Zak Page, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UT Austin. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-024-01478-2" target="_blank">research appears today</a> in&nbsp;Nature Light Science and Applications.<h2>Printing with a chip</h2>Experts in silicon photonics, the Notaros group previously developed integrated optical-phased-array systems that steer beams of light using a series of microscale antennas fabricated on a chip using semiconductor manufacturing processes. By speeding up or delaying the optical signal on either side of the antenna array, they can move the beam of emitted light in a certain direction.Such systems are key for lidar sensors, which map their surroundings by emitting infrared light beams that bounce off nearby objects. Recently, the group has focused on systems that emit and steer visible light for augmented-reality applications.They wondered if such a device could be used for a chip-based 3D printer.At about the same time they started brainstorming, the Page Group at UT Austin demonstrated specialized resins that can be rapidly cured using wavelengths of visible light for the first time. This was the missing piece that pushed the chip-based 3D printer into reality.“With photocurable resins, it is very hard to get them to cure all the way up at infrared wavelengths, which is where integrated optical-phased-array systems were operating in the past for lidar,” Corsetti says. “Here, we are meeting in the middle between standard photochemistry and silicon photonics by using visible-light-curable resins and visible-light-emitting chips to create this chip-based 3D printer. You have this merging of two technologies into a completely new idea.”Their prototype consists of a single photonic chip containing an array of 160-nanometer-thick optical antennas. (A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.) The entire chip fits onto a U.S. quarter.When powered by an off-chip laser, the antennas emit a steerable beam of visible light into the well of photocurable resin. The chip sits below a clear slide, like those used in microscopes, which contains a shallow indentation that holds the resin. The researchers use electrical signals to nonmechanically steer the light beam, causing the resin to solidify wherever the beam strikes it.<h2>A collaborative approach</h2>But effectively modulating visible-wavelength light, which involves modifying its amplitude and phase, is especially tricky. One common method requires heating the chip, but this is inefficient and takes a large amount of physical space.Instead, the researchers used liquid crystal to fashion compact modulators they integrate onto the chip. The material’s unique optical properties enable the modulators to be extremely efficient and only about 20 microns in length.A single waveguide on the chip holds the light from the off-chip laser. Running along the waveguide are tiny taps which tap off a little bit of light to each of the antennas.The researchers actively tune the modulators using an electric field, which reorients the liquid crystal molecules in a certain direction. In this way, they can precisely control the amplitude and phase of light being routed to the antennas.But forming and steering the beam is only half the battle. Interfacing with a novel photocurable resin was a completely different challenge.The Page Group at UT Austin worked closely with the Notaros Group at MIT, carefully adjusting the chemical combinations and concentrations to zero-in on a formula that provided a long shelf-life and rapid curing.In the end, the group used their prototype to 3D print arbitrary two-dimensional shapes within seconds.Building off this prototype, they want to move toward developing a system like the one they originally conceptualized — a chip that emits a hologram of visible light in a resin well to enable volumetric 3D printing in only one step.“To be able to do that, we need a completely new silicon-photonics chip design. We already laid out a lot of what that final system would look like in this paper. And, now, we are excited to continue working towards this ultimate demonstration,” Jelena Notaros says.

The tiny device could enable a user to rapidly create customized, low-cost objects on the go, like a fastener to repair a wobbly bicycle wheel or a component for a critical medical operation. Credit: Sampson Wilcox, RLE

Smaller than a coin, this optical device could enable rapid prototyping on the go.

Researchers demonstrate the first chip-based 3D printer

Imaging the hot turbulence of aircraft propulsion systems may now be possible with sturdy sheets of composite materials that twist light beams, according to research led by the University of Michigan and Air Force Research Laboratory.The sheets were produced with a new manufacturing method that opens possibilities beyond aircraft design, as it enables new classes of materials to be used in polarization optics. While the team demonstrated high temperature tolerance, new mechanical, electrical and physical properties are expected to emerge as well—with potential applications in energy, sensors for vehicles and robots, and space exploration.“Combining multiple functionalities into 2D materials opens up a world of possibilities,” said <a href="https://mrs.digitellinc.com/b/sp/dhriti-nepal-34987" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dhriti Nepal</a>, senior research materials engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory and a co-corresponding author of the study published recently in Nature.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1717115403757-nick-and-jun.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Nicholas Kotov, the Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, and Jun Lu, an adjunct research investigator, present their light-twisting materials in their chemical engineering laboratory. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.“Think of a butterfly’s wings, which allow it to fly, regulate temperature, and reflect light to produce specific colors for attracting mates and avoiding predators. This technique provides new design opportunities for creating multifunctional devices capable of anything one can imagine.”The key is arranging nanomaterials that don’t twist light on their own onto layers that turn light waves into either left- or right-handed spirals, known as circular polarizations. In the aircraft example, turbulence created by the engine spins the light, which is then filtered through the material for imaging. Today, devices like <a href="https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2022/the-chemistry-behind-your-lcd-flat-screen-devices-how-a-scientist-changed-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LCD screens</a> and <a href="https://www.qats.com/Products/Instruments/Surface-Thermography/TLC-100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thermochromic paints</a> already control the twist and orientation of light waves using <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsaom.3c00282?casa_token=PCLN4MaiV1UAAAAA%3Aasa8_oPhbylNiDNzYH77VxzwONVZ49_8EuTBj9MZWHJoD8N-Q7GxEwqhEWFR_UdFuonKP_FvpcYviPk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">liquid crystals</a>, but they melt not far above ambient temperatures.“There could be situations in which you want to twist light outside the normal operating temperatures of liquid crystals. Now, we can make light-polarizing devices for those kinds of settings,” said <a href="https://che.engin.umich.edu/people/kotov-nicholas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nicholas Kotov</a>, the Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at U-M and lead author of the study.The new material can twist light at 250 degrees Celsius, and through the imaging of turbulence in aircraft engines and other applications, it could enable aerospace engineers to improve designs for better aircraft flight performance.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1717115422648-composite-sheet-featured-e1717078357451+%281%29.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">This composite film can twist light into a spiral, thanks to microscopic grooves that cause horizontally and vertically oscillating light waves to pass through the film out of phase. Unlike existing materials that can do this, the film maintains its light-twisting properties when heated up to 250 degrees Celsius. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.“Future aerospace systems continue to push the edge of technical feasibility. These low-cost optical materials afford modularity, which is crucial for optimizing solutions for a broad range of future technologies,” said <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/1733591/dr-richard-a-vaia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" id="isPasted">Richard Vaia</a>, materials and manufacturing chief scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory and a corresponding author of the study.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1717115446434-composite-sheet-fire.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">To measure how well the film twists light at high temperatures, U-M researchers use a small flame as a light and heat source. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.To make the materials, the researchers put microscopic grooves into a plastic sheet and covered it with several layers of tiny, flat particles with a diameter 10,000 times smaller than a millimeter. These particles were held in place with alternating layers of a molecular adhesive, and they could be made from any material that can be made into flat nanoparticles. For their heat-tolerant materials, the researchers used ceramic-like materials called MXenes.As light moves through the material, it divides into two beams, one with horizontally oscillating waves and another with vertically oscillating waves. The vertical waves pass through faster than the horizontal waves. As a result, the waves exit out of phase and appear as a spiral of light. The angle of the grooves determines the direction in which the light spirals, and layers of silver nanowires can help ensure the light spirals solely to the left or right.“Our calculations suggest that the optical properties didn’t come from the nanoplates themselves, but from their orientation on the grooves caused by our fabrication process,” said André Farias de Moura, associate professor of chemistry at the Federal University of São Carlos and a co-corresponding author of the study.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1717115465598-Jun-fire.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Jun Lu, an adjunct research investigator working in Kotov’s lab and the study’s first author, demonstrates how he uses a fire to test a film’s ability to twist light at high temperatures. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.The research was funded by the National Science Foundation Science and Technology&nbsp;<a href="https://compass.engin.umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Complex Particle Systems</a>, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, as well as the São Paulo Research Foundation. The materials were studied at the&nbsp;<a href="https://mc2.engin.umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michigan Center for Materials Characterization</a>.Felippe Colombari from the Brazilian Biorenewables National Laboratory also contributed to the study. Nicholas Kotov is also the Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering and a professor of macromolecular science and engineering.Kotov filed a patent with the help of Innovation Partnerships at U-M, and his company Photon Semantics LLC, a U-M startup, is planning to license the technology. Kotov and the University of Michigan have a financial interest in Photon Semantics LLC.

New manufacturing method builds tougher materials that were previously considered useless for twisting light into more robust optical devices.

Nanoscale engineering brings light-twisting materials to more extreme settings

Quantum computers hold the promise of being able to quickly solve extremely complex problems that might take the world’s most powerful supercomputer decades to crack.But achieving that performance involves building a system with millions of interconnected building blocks called qubits. Making and controlling so many qubits in a hardware architecture is an enormous challenge that scientists around the world are striving to meet.Toward this goal, researchers at MIT and MITRE have demonstrated a scalable, modular hardware platform that integrates thousands of interconnected qubits onto a customized integrated circuit. This “quantum-system-on-chip” (QSoC) architecture enables the researchers to precisely tune and control a dense array of qubits. Multiple chips could be connected using optical networking to create a large-scale quantum communication network.By tuning qubits across 11 frequency channels, this QSoC architecture allows for a new proposed protocol of “entanglement multiplexing” for large-scale quantum computing.The team spent years perfecting an intricate process for manufacturing two-dimensional arrays of atom-sized qubit microchiplets and transferring thousands of them onto a carefully prepared complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. This transfer can be performed in a single step.“We will need a large number of qubits, and great control over them, to really leverage the power of a quantum system and make it useful. We are proposing a brand new architecture and a fabrication technology that can support the scalability requirements of a hardware system for a quantum computer,” says Linsen Li, an electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) graduate student and lead author of a paper on this architecture.Li’s co-authors include Ruonan Han, an associate professor in EECS, leader of the Terahertz Integrated Electronics Group, and member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE); senior author Dirk Englund, professor of EECS, principal investigator of the Quantum Photonics and Artificial Intelligence Group and of RLE; as well as others at MIT, Cornell University, the Delft Institute of Technology, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, and the MITRE Corporation. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07371-7" target="_blank">paper appears today</a> in Nature.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1717028405505-MIT-Quantum_Chip-01-press+%281%29.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Researchers developed a modular fabrication process to produce a quantum-system-on-chip which integrates an array of artificial atom qubits onto a semiconductor chip. Image: Sampson Wilcox and Linsen Li, RLE<h2>Diamond microchiplets</h2>While there are many types of qubits, the researchers chose to use diamond color centers because of their scalability advantages. They previously used such qubits to <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2020/scaling-quantum-chip-0708" target="_blank">produce integrated quantum chips</a> with photonic circuitry.Qubits made from diamond color centers are “artificial atoms” that carry quantum information. Because diamond color centers are solid-state systems, the qubit manufacturing is compatible with modern semiconductor fabrication processes. They are also compact and have relatively long coherence times, which refers to the amount of time a qubit’s state remains stable, due to the clean environment provided by the diamond material.In addition, diamond color centers have photonic interfaces which allows them to be remotely entangled, or connected, with other qubits that aren’t adjacent to them.“The conventional assumption in the field is that the inhomogeneity of the diamond color center is a drawback compared to identical quantum memory like ions and neutral atoms. However, we turn this challenge into an advantage by embracing the diversity of the artificial atoms: Each atom has its own spectral frequency. This allows us to communicate with individual atoms by voltage tuning them into resonance with a laser, much like tuning the dial on a tiny radio,” says Englund.This is especially difficult because the researchers must achieve this at a large scale to compensate for the qubit inhomogeneity in a large system.To communicate across qubits, they need to have multiple such “quantum radios” dialed into the same channel. Achieving this condition becomes near-certain when scaling to thousands of qubits. To this end, the researchers surmounted that challenge by integrating a large array of diamond color center qubits onto a CMOS chip which provides the control dials. The chip can be incorporated with built-in digital logic that rapidly and automatically reconfigures the voltages, enabling the qubits to reach full connectivity.“This compensates for the in-homogenous nature of the system. With the CMOS platform, we can quickly and dynamically tune all the qubit frequencies,” Li explains.<h2>Lock-and-release fabrication</h2>To build this QSoC, the researchers developed a fabrication process to transfer diamond color center “microchiplets” onto a CMOS backplane at a large scale.They started by fabricating an array of diamond color center microchiplets from a solid block of diamond. They also designed and fabricated nanoscale optical antennas that enable more efficient collection of the photons emitted by these color center qubits in free space.Then, they designed and mapped out the chip from the semiconductor foundry. Working in the MIT.nano cleanroom, they post-processed a CMOS chip to add microscale sockets that match up with the diamond microchiplet array.They built an in-house transfer setup in the lab and applied a lock-and-release process to integrate the two layers by locking the diamond microchiplets into the sockets on the CMOS chip. Since the diamond microchiplets are weakly bonded to the diamond surface, when they release the bulk diamond horizontally, the microchiplets stay in the sockets.“Because we can control the fabrication of both the diamond and the CMOS chip, we can make a complementary pattern. In this way, we can transfer thousands of diamond chiplets into their corresponding sockets all at the same time,” Li says.The researchers demonstrated a 500-micron by 500-micron area transfer for an array with 1,024 diamond nanoantennas, but they could use larger diamond arrays and a larger CMOS chip to further scale up the system. In fact, they found that with more qubits, tuning the frequencies actually requires less voltage for this architecture.“In this case, if you have more qubits, our architecture will work even better,” Li says.The team tested many nanostructures before they determined the ideal microchiplet array for the lock-and-release process. However, making quantum microchiplets is no easy task, and the process took years to perfect.“We have iterated and developed the recipe to fabricate these diamond nanostructures in MIT cleanroom, but it is a very complicated process. It took 19 steps of nanofabrication to get the diamond quantum microchiplets, and the steps were not straightforward,” he adds.Alongside their QSoC, the researchers developed an approach to characterize the system and measure its performance on a large scale. To do this, they built a custom cryo-optical metrology setup.Using this technique, they demonstrated an entire chip with over 4,000 qubits that could be tuned to the same frequency while maintaining their spin and optical properties. They also built a digital twin simulation that connects the experiment with digitized modeling, which helps them understand the root causes of the observed phenomenon and determine how to efficiently implement the architecture.In the future, the researchers could boost the performance of their system by refining the materials they used to make qubits or developing more precise control processes. They could also apply this architecture to other solid-state quantum systems.This work was supported by the MITRE Corporation Quantum Moonshot Program, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army Research Office, the Center for Quantum Networks, and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.

Researchers developed a modular fabrication process to produce a quantum-system-on-chip which integrates an array of artificial atom qubits onto a semiconductor chip. Image: Sampson Wilcox and Linsen Li, RLE

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