Electronic-Photonic Convergence: A Platform Grant

这个平台资助的主题是电子-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学，所有这些都利用了一个通用的制造平台。电子学和光子学的融合支撑了从未来互联网到消费品，从生物和化学传感到通信等一系列技术。电子和光子学的整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。硅光子学是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推向大众市场。集成硅系统预计到2024年将服务于超过7亿美元的市场（Yole Development，2014），但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涵盖第二代器件中的非线性光子学，用于完全集成平台中的所有光学处理。类似地，绝缘体上SiGe和绝缘体上Ge等相关技术也将彻底改变下一代通信和集成传感器技术，所有这些都将在一个集成电子和非线性光子的平台上进行。通过灵活的资金平台支持这些关键专业领域的团队，将使我们能够在这些技术领域开展开拓性工作，并为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，通过制造技术连接起来。电子-光子集成尚未在硅基技术中以有意义的方式得到解决，而这个团队在拥有关键制造设备的机构中集体拥有这样做的基本技能，以促进成功。由于研究制造的复杂性，现有的RA被充分利用，并且很少或没有额外的战略研究范围。平台赠款将使我们有机会将制造资源和RA技能用于战略项目和具体创新。我们将通过利用项目中的RA来实现这一目标，以提供对该集团持有的赠款组合具有重大战略意义的工作，同时还通过赋予他们特定的管理职责来发展RA的研究和管理技能，同时由一名调查人员指导。

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.