Phase I low-cost lasers and assembly for high-performance silicon photonic transceivers and sensors

硅光子集成电路（ic）用于许多高价值应用，包括连接数据中心服务器的高速收发器，激光雷达（光探测和测距）以及工业和生物医学传感应用。一种高性能而低成本的激光器，只需几美元，是所有硅光子学产品的理想选择。我们在不列颠哥伦比亚大学（UBC）的团队开发了两种新的激光技术：1)激光线宽减小（LWR）技术[1]，可以使1美元的激光器具有与100倍昂贵的激光器相同的性能。该技术对激光雷达和数据中心间收发器具有吸引力。ii)反射抵消电路（RCC）技术[2]取代目前激光器使用的笨重磁光隔离器，将激光封装到芯片的成本节省10倍。这项技术对几乎所有现有的硅光子学市场都具有吸引力。这两项技术还承诺了全新的应用和外形。我们I2I阶段1的技术目标是开发一种最小可行产品（MVP），该产品可以在一系列温度变化和连续运行数月的情况下稳定且反复地实现高性能。作为我们之前资助的NSERC I2I市场评估（MA）的一部分进行的主要市场研究表明，这些技术对于制造激光器，硅光子收发器和激光雷达的公司来说是非常可取的。这些行业构成了一个高价值的滩头堡市场，受访的9家公司表示，在我们成功部署MVP并完成第一阶段项目中概述的里程碑后，他们愿意进行beta测试（见附件的市场研究和支持信）。

Silicon photonic integrated circuits (ICs) are used in a number of high value applications, including high speed transceivers that connect servers in data centres, in LiDARs (Light Detection And Ranging), and in industrial and biomedical sensing applications. A high-performance yet low-cost laser, costing a few dollars, is desirable for all silicon photonics products. Our team at The University of British Columbia (UBC) has developed two new laser technologies: i) A laser linewidth-reduction (LWR) technology [1] that can enable a $1 laser to have the same performance as a laser which is 100x more expensive. This technology is attractive for LiDARs and inter-data centre transceivers. ii) A reflection cancellation circuit (RCC) technology [2] to replace bulky magneto-optical isolators used with today's lasers to save 10x in the cost of packaging the laser to the chip.This technology is attractive for almost all of the existing silicon photonics markets. Both technologies also promise entirely new applications and form-factors. Our technical goals for the I2I Phase 1 are to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) that can robustly and repeatedly achieve high performance over a range of temperature variation and months of continuous operation. Primary market research conducted as part of our previously funded NSERC I2I Market Assessment (MA) indicated that these technologies would be highly desirable for companies building lasers, silicon photonic transceivers, and LiDARs. These industries constitute a high-value beachhead market, and nine of the companies interviewed expressed their willingness to beta-test following the successful deployment of our MVP and completion of the milestones outlined in this Phase I project (see attached market study and letters of support).