The Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) in the Netherlands offers (pre)graduate engineering programs (BSc and MSc) and post-graduate technological design (MTD), PhD and teacher training programmes (MSc) and post-academic continuing education. The courses are research-driven and design-oriented. TU/e co-ordinates several prominent Dutch research schools and institutes, such as Institute for Photonic Integration (IPI) and has a strong position within international research networks. The TU/e is a natural partner for technology intensive enterprises. The campus is a fertile breeding ground for new business ventures. The Institute for Photonic Integration (IPI), formerly known as the COBRA Research Institute for Optical Communication Technology, provides a focus to Photonics activities at the Technical University of Eindhoven. It employs more than 150 scientists and technicians working on materials, device and systems research. This is one of the world’s leading institutes in the field of Photonic Integration and holds a number of records on device miniaturisation and integration complexity. It has access to an 800 m2 cleanroom, Nanolab@TU/e, with a full suite of equipment for R&D of advanced InP-based PICs, devices and materials including the only deep UV scanner lithography tool configured for 3″ and 4″ InP wafers. Researchers from two of the main groups within IPI will contribute to this proposal: the photonic integration (PhI) group and the electro-optical communication systems (ECO) group.
PhI has a long-standing experience in national and European research projects, including the FP6 NoE ePIXnet, where it took a leading role in the creation of the InP-technology platform JePPIX, which was the first platform to provide open access to advanced photonic integration processes using a foundry model, and the service offered by JePPIX is globally unique. Over 400 designs have been delivered to users through the JePPIX. The PhI coordinates and chairs the steering group of JePPIX. PhI has spinned off several companies on PICs, including Smart Photonics , the unique pure-play InP foundry based on the PhI generic InP technology.
PhI is leading the research on photonics/electronics co-integraiton, through EU project WIPE, Dutch project Photronics and recently a Dutch-Taiwan project CONDENSE. PhI works with leading CMOS electronics companies (NXP, TSMC) and explore the combination of the best of two worlds: InP photonics wafers to CMOS driver wafers. PhI has developed 3-inch wafer-scale bonding technology with micrometers alignment accuracy and high-speed interconnect via’s using advanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. Through these projects, PhI has gained unique insights in co-design strategy of photonic and electronic ICs and wafer-scale thermal management.
PhI is also leading research on integrated nanophotonics on an InP membrane (IMOS). The high-index contrast in the membrane enabled InP photonic circuitry with sub-micrometer dimensions while maintaining the intrinsic optoelectronic efficiency from InP material system. PhI introduced for the first time DUV scanner lithography on the sub-micrometer thick InP membrane and demonstrated record low loss of 1 dB/cm, which is crucial for high density and high complexity circuitries. Nanophotonic-integrated lasers were demonstrated for the first time, showing competitive efficiency as commercialized generic platforms. Ultrafast photonics is also enabled in the membrane, with a demonstration of a photodiode beyond 67 GHz. This unique InP nanophotonic platform is a vehicle to emerging applications. A recent example is an integrated optical wireless receiver for LiFi application with record high data rate of 50 Gbps.
ECO runs a fully equipped laboratory with state-of-the-art test and measurement systems and a broad range of passive and active photonic devices. Within our Data center networks lab dedicated research is taking place to design, fabricate and test novel components, sub-systems and architectures which can support the required future scaling of data center networks. Within the ECO group, the optical packet switching lab is fully equipped with a PIC testbeds including fiber array interfacing, electronic controllers and programmable logic for the control and calibration of hundreds of electrodes per PIC. FPGA control enables short time slot routing experiments. WDM sources, modulators, receivers and error analyzers are available for testing up to 50Gb/s. A full suite of optical communications diagnostics tools are also available. Assembly equipment includes bonders for electrical attachment of PIC die to printed circuit boards and also laser welding for optical fibre array attachment for one-off prototyping. The group has worldwide links and collaborations with top research institutes and industrial research organizations and its activities are supported by industrial grants as well as national and EU funded research programs. More specifically, ECO has significant presence and a proven track record with successful participation and leadership in numerous EU projects like H2020 ICTQAMeleon, PASSION, METRO-HAUL, FP7 ICT IDEALIST, COSIGN, LIGHTNESS and MODEGAP. The knowhow of ECO in chip design and switch architecture and large-scale switching matrices, as well as data center networks and software defined networks fits to its tasks in TWILIGHT project.
