Halogenated Organic Lasers Integrated on Silicon for Transforming Internet Communications (HOLISTIC)

Optical communication is the future of high speed data networks. Although virtually all long distance data transfer is sent at the speed of light down optical fibres, the technology required to do this is too expensive for shorter distance links. As such datacentres, which currently consume about 3% of the world's electricity generation and are responsible for around 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions, are forced to rely on electrical connections for short range data transfer, an energy intensive process which also provides a bottleneck in the data transfer rate. This project aims to further develop a new range of laser materials derived from novel chemistry which can be deposited directly onto silicon chips in order to allow the integration of lasers. This will overcome the bottleneck in data communications and facilitate ultra-high speed communications right down to the chip level, a fundamental aim of those in the silicon photonics field which is seen as the underpinning technology for next generation computing. The project brings together a new spin-out company with Queen Mary University of London and IP Group, an early stage technology development company. We will support Chromosol to produce, test and characterise these new and novel laser materials and use them to fabricate devices demonstrating the commercial viability of the approach.