Pioneering a New Generic Platform - Unlocking the Potential of Mid-IR Photonic Integrated Circuits

The foundation of the contemporary digital world is determined to a large extent by advanced information and communication technologies (ICT), encapsulated in four fundamental functions: Sense, Communicate, Think, and Act. For years, their development has been based on integrated electronic technologies only, which have driven the dynamic expansion of the ICT sector since the 1970s. This period marked the beginning of the microelectronic revolution, culminating in a technical world dominated by integrated electronic circuits. In the early years of the 21st century, another revolutionary technology emerged: integrated photonics. Originally limited to telecom and datacom markets, this technology has, after two decades of rapid development, begun to explore an entirely new application field of sensing technologies, driven by the expansive market of the Internet of Things (IoT). Integrated photonics complements perfectly integrated electronics in Sense and Communication aspects of the digital paradigm, while integrated electronics continues to underpin the Think and Act components.