New optical transceivers in development

Imec’s associated lab at Ghent University, Belgium, has joined the European Commission’s SPIRIT project on optical transceivers for next-generation flexible optical networks.

The three-year research programme, supported by the Seventh Framework Programme, aims to develop innovative programmable photonic components, all integrated on a Si photonic platform: low-power, multilevel modulators, flexible wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers, and high-speed coherent receivers will constitute the ingredients for enabling terabit capacities and software-defined operation in future metropolitan and long-haul networks. SPIRIT’s consortium comprises seven leading academic research centres and companies from across Europe.

Within this project, imec’s associated lab at Ghent University will develop the dedicated high-speed, low-power driver arrays for interfacing segmented multilevel modulators. In these designs, they will focus on the close integration and matching of the drivers with the corresponding InP modulator chips. The team will co-optimise the high-speed signal processing, mixed-signal electronic circuits, parasitic elements, interconnects and electro-optical component parameters to take advantage of the various new technologies developed by the SPIRIT consortium.

Imec’s associated lab at Ghent University will also develop innovative integration technologies for optically and electrically interconnecting the InP, complementary metal-oxide semiconductors and silicon photonic components developed in the consortium. Photonics integration usually involves accurate alignment and costly equipment. Therefore, the team will focus on technologies which will be alignment intolerant as much as possible.