Heterogeneous Integration for Integrated Photonics on Glass
Nadia PIZARRO
Monday, June 29, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
Abstract:
In response to the growing demand for data transmission, integrated photonics is now emerging as a technology that will replace electrical interconnections with optical ones. At CROMA, we are working on a glass platform that utilizes waveguides fabricated via ion exchange. This process involves locally altering the chemical composition of the glass within a region defined by lithography. This technique has enabled the design of a wide range of devices, including passive ones such as multiplexers and active ones such as amplifiers or lasers. One of the current challenges in integrated photonics is the integration of active and passive components on a single optical chip.
In this thesis, we use heterogeneous integration, which is based on the incorporation of active materials onto substrates initially optimized for passive functions. The implementation of these structures poses significant constraints in terms of thermal compatibility; therefore, we address these technological challenges using two methods.
In response to the growing demand for data transmission, integrated photonics is now emerging as a technology that will replace electrical interconnections with optical ones. At CROMA, we are working on a glass platform that utilizes waveguides fabricated via ion exchange. This process involves locally altering the chemical composition of the glass within a region defined by lithography. This technique has enabled the design of a wide range of devices, including passive ones such as multiplexers and active ones such as amplifiers or lasers. One of the current challenges in integrated photonics is the integration of active and passive components on a single optical chip.
In this thesis, we use heterogeneous integration, which is based on the incorporation of active materials onto substrates initially optimized for passive functions. The implementation of these structures poses significant constraints in terms of thermal compatibility; therefore, we address these technological challenges using two methods.
- The first method involves using micrometer-thick thin films of a solid rare-earth-doped material. This material was hybridized via molecular adhesion onto waveguides, followed by thinning and polishing.
- The second proposed method is based on dip or spin coating of sol, a glass-like material containing nanoparticles. We used a new material created within the CRUMBLE project: Cr4+:YAG nanoparticles. Cr4+:YAG serves as a substitute for rare earths because it has a broad emission band above the O telecommunications band, which could be exploited for the fabrication of mode-locked lasers.
" If you want to know which of the two approaches works, come to my seminar on June 29 "
Date infos
Monday, June 29, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
Location infos
BELLEDONNE room & VIDEOCONFERENCE