Presenting ultra low power fast actuation for TriPleX photonic integrated circuits

A beamformer chip with actuators on chip

On-chip actuators enable advances in solid state reconfigurable PICs, like optical beamforming chips (above).

We’re presenting the latest results on ultra-low power fast actuators at Photonics West on Demand 21-27th February.

The ultra-low power actuators use a novel stress optic material, bringing ultra fast switching on-chip for solid-state switchable components for optical signal processing and beam forming applications.

The next generation of applications for switchable PICs demand far lower power consumption and higher operating frequency. LioniX stress-optic phase actuators directly address these challenges, with µs-scale switching speed and ultra-low <1 µW static power consumption. These are fabricated using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric layers on a standard TriPleX™ (Silicon Nitride) waveguide. This novel fabrication integrates the low power and fast actuation of PZT with the low-loss (<0.01 dB) optical propagation of TriPleX™ waveguides. Catch LioniX International's Arnoud Everhardt online for Photonics West on Demand in February.