Sandia National Laboratories has patented a method to create hybrid silicon devices: hybrid lasers and amplifiers made from both indium phosphide and silicon, and similarly modulators made of both lithium-niobate and silicon. The lasers generate light in the C-band and the O-band wavelengths, which are commonly used in the telecommunications industry.
The Sandia team used many of the same tools found at commercial semiconductor plants.
“We know our process is scalable, so that’s one way we’re supporting the CHIPS Act mission,” Patrick said. “Sandia is eager to collaborate with others and start building new technologies together,” stated Patrick Chu, who co-leads the National Security Photonics Center, a group of more than 60 photonics scientists and engineers at Sandia’s Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications complex.
