Photonic & Plasmonic Systems

Optical infrastructure for AI clusters, cloud platforms, data centres and high-performance computing.

AI and HPC systems are pushing interconnects toward higher bandwidth density, lower latency and improved energy efficiency. PPS develops photonic interconnect and packaging technologies that bring optical communication closer to computing and switching resources.

The work spans electro-optical circuit boards, silicon-photonic engines, photonic interposers, optical I/O, active optical cables, chiplet concepts, high-radix switching and system demonstrators.

Focus

• Optical interconnect architectures for compute infrastructures.
• High-radix optical switching and photonic fabrics.
• Photonic interposers and optical I/O concepts.
• Packaging concepts for AI accelerators and switch platforms.
• Manufacturing-aware demonstrator development.

Bringing optical I/O closer to switching and computing hardware.

Co-packaged optics is a key pathway for high-bandwidth and energy-efficient computing systems. PPS approaches CPO as a complete system-integration challenge involving photonic chips, electronics, fibre attach, optical/electrical interfaces, thermal management, test and manufacturable package concepts.

The capability covers optical chiplets, photonic-electronic co-integration, vertical fibre coupling, optical interposers, assembly tolerances and demonstrator-oriented co-design.

Focus

• CPO architecture assessment.
• Optical chiplet and interposer concepts.
• Fibre attach and optical coupling strategies.
• ASIC-photonics integration support.
• Thermal, mechanical and electrical interface considerations.
• Demonstrator and feasibility-study support.

Transforming photonic devices into robust, testable and manufacturable systems.

Photonic packaging is the core enabling discipline that turns photonic chips into usable modules. PPS develops packaging concepts that combine optical coupling, electrical and RF interfaces, thermal design, mechanical stability, assembly processes, reliability and testability.

The capability includes fibre-to-chip coupling, micro-optics integration, multi-fibre assembly, optical interposers, System-in-Package architectures, wafer-level packaging and module-level characterization.

Focus

• PIC packaging and assembly-route development.
• Fibre-to-chip and multi-fibre coupling.
• Micro-optics and optical interface integration.
• RF/DC routing for photonic modules.
• Thermal-mechanical packaging concepts.
• Reliability-aware demonstrator development.

Combining material platforms, photonics and electronics into compact systems.

Heterogeneous integration enables technologies with complementary advantages to be combined into application-ready systems. PPS connects silicon photonics, InP, silicon nitride, plasmonics, glass, polymers, electronics and optical packaging into integrated photonic-electronic solutions.

The capability includes 2.5D and 3D integration, chiplet concepts, System-in-Package modules, RF/optical interfaces, photonic-electronic co-integration and multiphysics co-design.

Focus

• 2.5D and 3D photonic-electronic integration.
• Silicon–plasmonic and III–V/Si integration concepts.
• Photonic chiplet and interposer approaches.
• System-in-Package module concepts.
• Optical, electrical, thermal and mechanical co-design.

Connecting scalable PIC platforms with packaging, test and production readiness.

Silicon photonics provides a scalable route to dense optical functionality, but practical adoption depends on packaging, coupling, wafer-level testing and manufacturing readiness. PPS addresses silicon photonics as a complete ecosystem from platform to module. The work includes packaging-aware design, optical coupling, wafer-level characterization, assembly automation, TSV-enabled interposers, glass optical I/O, foundry interfaces and pilot-line concepts.

Focus

• Silicon photonic packaging concepts.
• Design-for-packaging and coupling strategy support.
• Wafer-level optical/electrical test planning.
• Assembly-route and pilot-line concepts.
• Manufacturing-aware demonstrator integration.

Optical-wireless integration for future communication and sensing systems.

Future networks require closer integration of optical and RF technologies. PPS develops RF photonic and optical-wireless technologies for radio-over-fibre, optical fronthaul, mmWave and sub-THz systems, distributed antennas, beamforming and sensing applications.

The capability includes UTC photodiode assemblies, photonic transmitters and receivers, RF-compatible packages, fibre-wireless demonstrators and photonic-enabled sensing architectures.

Focus

• RF photonic module packaging.
• Optical-to-RF conversion concepts.
• Radio-over-fibre link development.
• mmWave and sub-THz demonstrators.
• Optical beamforming and fibre-wireless integration.
• 5G/6G communication and sensing support.

Photonic integration for secure, programmable and quantum-aware optical networks.

Secure optical infrastructures require photonic hardware, cryptographic functions, programmable networks and AI-assisted operation to work together. PPS supports this convergence through photonic integration, packaging and demonstrator-level validation.

The capability includes QKD-compatible photonic components, post-quantum interfaces, optical physical unclonable functions, programmable photonic circuits, secure network architectures, telemetry, digital twins and AI/ML-assisted orchestration.

Focus

• Packaging concepts for secure photonic subsystems.
• Programmable photonic circuit integration.
• QKD/PQC-related demonstrator support.
• Optical PUF and trusted photonic-system concepts.
• Digital-twin and telemetry-enabled network validation.

From research concepts to repeatable, standardizable and industry-relevant photonic technologies.

Industrial photonics requires stable processes, validated interfaces, test methods, standards, manufacturing flows and demonstrator evidence. PPS supports this transition through pilot-line thinking, assembly automation, wafer-level characterization, standardization contributions and technology transfer.

The capability includes pilot-line development, manufacturing-flow definition, optical-board technologies, packaging-process qualification, automated assembly, wafer-level test, technology access and ecosystem-building activities.

Focus

• Pilot-line and manufacturing-flow concepts.
• Assembly automation and process development.
• Wafer-level characterization strategies.
• Standardization-aligned development.
• Technology-transfer and demonstrator support.
• Industrialization-oriented collaboration models