Unlocking the potential of Lithium niobate in PIC applications
Lithium niobate is widely recognized high potential next generation PIC material due to its unique material properties, replacing SiP and InP in ultra-high speed datacom and enabling new applications in quantum computing and AI. The availability of thin film LN wafers (Lithium niobate on Insulator, also known as LNOI) has brought the application of Lithium niobate in PICs one step closer. Unfortunately, the full potential of Lithium niobate in PICs has not been delivered yet, due to the challenges of PIC fabricating on LNOI. Furthermore, PIC development in general is typically associated with long lead times and high cost, resulting in excessive development cost, high risk and unfeasible business cases.
Rapid Photonics has solved these problems, enabling our customers to develop LNOI PICs with manageable risk, short lead times and at affordable cost. We are a solution provider for design, production and packaging of LNOI PICs. We have developed and patented a revolutionary PIC production technology: DEpicT® (Direct Etch-less photonic integrated circuits Technology) that overcomes the challenges of LNOI PIC fabrication. DEpicT delivers low-loss waveguides in LNOI with high yield and short lead time. We have our own fabrication capacity and collaborate with selected partners for electrical and optical integration, packaging and testing. This enables us to provide our customers with fully functional LNOI PIC components for their specific application.
DEpicT® technology delivers compact PICs with a waveguide density and bending radius comparable to conventional PIC technologies. Currently, our technology supports the integration of passive photonic components. Active components, such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers, electro-optical switches, amplifiers, are in development.
DEpicT is a 100% silicon compatible process, facilitating seamless the scale up of PIC production in conventional Si PIC foundries.
DEpicT has a wavelength range of between 1300 and 1650 nm. Optionally, we can accommodate visible spectrum with a modified version of DEpicT.
DEpicT is also applicable to Silicon nitrate PICs enabling customers to leverage on the short lead times and highly competitive cost of DEpicT in comparison to conventional Silicon nitrate PIC production processes.
Technical specifications
- Wave guide width: 1.0 μm
- Minimum spacing: 0.3 μm
- Minimum bending radius: 100 μm
- Optical loss: 1-2 dB/cm
- Wavelength range: 1300 – 1650 nm
- Coupling efficiency: 20-30% per facet
- Lead time: around 30 days
Photonic components
Available photonics components include:
- Mach-Zehnder interferometers
- Ring, Elliptical- and Racetrack resonators
- Coupled cavity systems
- Broad band couplers (1300-1550 nm)
- Directional couplers
- Fabry-Perot resonators
- Sagnac mirrors
- Delay lines with multiple couplers
- Y-splitters
- Mul-mode interference couplers
- Polarisation splitters
- 3×3 splitters
- Any combination of the above
Applications
Our DEpicT® technology is ideally suited for the development of advanced LNOI PICs for various applications, such as:
- HF Modulators
- Quantum Optics
- Mach Zehnder meshes for quantum computing
- Neuromorphic photonic circuits
- Optical biosensors
- OCT systems
- Spectrometers
- Bi-stable cavies
- Whispering gallery mode resonators
- …and many more
About Us
At Rapid Photonics, our mission is to revolutionize the development and application of Photonic Integrated Circuits on Lithium niobate on Insulator (LNOI) by enabling fast production services of LNOI PICs. Our unique DEpicT® production technology enables PIC developers to execute design iterations in a matter of weeks and at an affordable cost. Rapid Photonics is a startup of the VU University of Amsterdam and has its office and production facility at the Science Park Amsterdam.
Contact
We are excited to discover the possibilities of our technology for your PIC application. We gladly invite you to ask any question regarding your specific needs. One of our experts will respond to your message soon.
Rapid Photonics BV
Sciencepark 106
1098 XG Amsterdam
(+31) 6 4932 0099
info@rapidphotonics.com