Scaling PICs with Heterogeneous Integration

The photonic integrated circuit (PIC) industry is experiencing a transformative shift toward heterogeneous integration, where diverse materials and active components are seamlessly combined on standardized platforms to achieve unprecedented performance for applications spanning quantum photonics, optical computing, and high-speed communications. Recent breakthroughs in wafer-scale fabrication processes have enabled the integration of high-speed electro-optic modulators, high-responsivity photodetectors, and other active elements with low-loss passive waveguiding materials.

This heterogeneous approach addresses the fundamental challenge that no single material platform can optimally perform all required photonic functions. By strategically combining materials with complementary properties—such as silicon nitride for ultra-low-loss waveguiding, lithium niobate for high-speed modulation, and III-V semiconductors for efficient photodetection—engineers can design flexible, high-performance PICs tailored to specific applications.

The integration of high-speed modulators with bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz and photodetectors with enhanced responsivities represents a significant milestone in advancing scalable photonic system capabilities for next-generation technological infrastructure.

About the presenter
Michael Geiselmann, Ph.D., is president and CCO of LIGENTEC. He studied physics and engineering at the University of Stuttgart and École Centrale Paris and received his doctorate at the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona. In 2014, he joined the laboratory of Professor Tobias Kippenberg at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne in Switzerland, where he advanced frequency comb generation on integrated silicon nitride chips and engaged in several international research projects. In 2016, Geiselmann co-founded LIGENTEC and brought the company to the international stage of photonic integration.