Silicon photonics lasers created from printed nanomaterial inks

Silicon photonics is an enabling technology platform impacting Air Force applications in microwave photonics for aircraft systems, optical communications, and emerging areas in drone LIDAR sensing and quantum photonics. All of these applications are evolving from bulky optical systems towards photonic integrated circuits(PICs), which contain full optical systems on a single chip. In addition to the benefit of reduction in cost, size, weight, and power (C-SWaP), PICs leverage the tremendous investment made into semiconductor manufacturing for electronics. Unfortunately, today silicon photonics lacks a laser compatible with standard foundry manufacturing. Without a solution to this ‘silicon laser problem’, the promise of high volume photonic chips will remain a distant dream. To overcome this challenge, Iris Light and Boise State University (BSU) are developing a wafer-scale additive manufacturing approach to embed lasers directly on the chip. The goal of this DoD STTR program is to develop printable lasers at 1550 nm, the most common wavelength for microwave photonics. In Phase I, our team engaged with Air Force stakeholders and secured MOUs from AFRL-Materials & Manufacturing and AFRL-Sensors in support of the Phase II program. In Phase II, Iris and BSU will develop purified nanomaterial photonic inks at 1550 nm, print them on commercially-produced silicon foundry substrates, and deliver a laser prototype to the Air Force.