Electronic-Photonic Convergence: A Platform Grant

这一平台赠款的主题是电子-光子融合。它巩固了集成光子学平台的专业知识，如硅光子学、中红外光子学、非线性光子学和高速电子技术，所有这些都使用一个通用的制造平台。电子和光子学的融合支撑了一系列技术，从未来的互联网到消费产品，从生物和化学传感到通信。电子学和光子学的结合被认为是管理未来海量数据需求的唯一途径，因此对数字时代的延续至关重要。Silicon Photonics是一项新兴技术的一个例子，它将通过与电子产品的集成将光子学带入大众市场。到2024年，集成硅系统预计将服务于一个超过7亿美元的市场(Yole Development，2014)，但它依赖于光子学与电子学的融合。此外，硅光子学的某些方面将包括第二代器件中的非线性光子学，以便在一个完全集成的平台中进行所有光学处理。同样，SiGe-on-Insulator和GE-On-Insulator等相关技术也将为下一代通信和集成传感器技术带来革命性的变化，所有这些技术都在一个集成了电子学和非线性光子学的平台上。在灵活的融资平台的支持下，在这些关键专业领域建立一个团队，将使我们能够在这些技术领域开拓工作，并为新出现的想法增加价值。电子和光子学的融合将产生复杂的集成系统，通过制造技术连接在一起。电子-光子集成尚未在基于硅的技术中以有意义的方式得到解决，这个团队在一个拥有关键制造设备以促进成功的机构中，共同拥有做到这一点的基本技能。由于制造研究的复杂性质，现有的RAS得到了充分利用，几乎没有或没有额外的战略研究空间。平台赠款将使我们有机会将制造资源和RA技能奉献给战略项目和具体创新。为此，我们将在项目中利用资源援助，为小组持有的赠款组合提供具有重要战略意义的工作，同时通过在其中一名研究人员的指导下，赋予资源援助机构具体的管理职责，发展资源援助组织的研究和管理技能。

The theme of this platform grant is electronic-photonic convergence. It underpins expertise in integrated photonics platforms such as silicon photonics, mid-IR photonics, non-linear photonics and high speed electronics, all of which make use of a common fabrication platform. The convergence of electronics and photonics underpins a host of technologies ranging from future internet to consumer products, and from biological and chemical sensing to communications. The integration of electronics and photonics is recognised as the only way to manage the massive data demands of the future, and is consequently crucial to the continuation of the digital age. Silicon Photonics is an example of an emerging technology that will bring photonics to mass markets via integration with electronics. Integrated silicon systems are projected to serve a market in excess of $700M by 2024 (Yole Development, 2014), but is reliant on photonics converging with electronics. Furthermore, some aspects of silicon photonics will encompass non-linear photonics in second generation devices for all optical processing in a fully integrated platform. Similarly, related technologies such as SiGe-on-Insulator and Ge-on-Insulator are poised to revolutionise the next generation of communications and integrated sensor technologies, all on an integrated platform with electronics and non-linear photonics. Underpinning a team in these crucial areas of expertise supported by a flexible funding platform will enable us to pioneer work in these technology areas, and to add value to ideas that emerge.The convergence of electronics and photonics will result in complex integrated systems, linked via fabrication technologies. Electronic-photonic integration has yet to be addressed in a meaningful way in silicon based technologies, and this team collectively have the essential skills to do so, at an institution that possesses the key fabrication equipment to facilitate success. Due to the complex nature of fabrication for research, existing RAs are fully utilised, and have little or no additional scope for strategic research. The platform grant will give us the opportunity to dedicate fabrication resource and RA skills to strategic projects, and specific innovation. We will do this by utilising the RAs within the project to deliver work of significant strategic importance to the portfolio of grants held by the group, whilst also developing the research and managerial skills of the RAs by giving them specific management responsibilities whilst being mentored by one of the investigators.