Spitting out photonic chips

Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre, Laser Physics Centre, RSPhysSE, Australian National University

3.30pm, Tuesday 12 November 2002, Seminar Room (AR103), Graduate Research Centre, Swinburne

As optical communications systems require increasingly more complex optical components with functionality well beyond that of the passive optical fibre that has revolutionised telecommunications technology, there is an increasing incentive for device integration to create optical chips. The current market down turn is motivating industry to seek low cost approaches to integration using materials platforms that offer higher functionality than chips based on the traditional silica glass platform. In this talk I will review some of the approaches to chip design and indicate the kind of functionality that is required including optical switches, modulators, and filters. I will also briefly introduce the approach taken by RPO Pty Ltd to fabricating low cost chips based on materials technology developed at the ANU. Spitting out low cost chips is the end goal, and one that will be and essential to regrowth of a profitable telecommunications component market.

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