- Successful wafer-scale integration of aluminum gallium arsenide onto 200mm CMOS silicon wafers by Aeluma (ALMU, Financial) and Thorlabs.
- Technology enables scalable quantum photonic circuits, improving efficiency over traditional materials.
- The breakthrough targets high-growth markets such as mobile, AI, defense, automotive, and quantum computing.
Aeluma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALMU), in partnership with Thorlabs, has achieved a significant technological breakthrough in the field of silicon photonics by demonstrating the wafer-scale integration of aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) onto standard 200mm CMOS silicon photonics wafers. This development marks a critical advancement in the realm of quantum computing and communications.
The newly realized integration technology effectively resolves a fundamental scaling challenge within quantum photonics. Leveraging AlGaAs, a nonlinear optical material, it enables two key functionalities: the generation of entangled photon pairs and modulation, which are crucial for advancing quantum photonic systems. AlGaAs offers enhanced efficiency over traditional materials such as silicon nitride or lithium niobate.
This milestone was achieved with support from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and could potentially move quantum technology beyond the research phase into commercial production. The integration method aligns with mainstream semiconductor manufacturing processes, suggesting a pathway toward cost-effective, mass-production of quantum photonic circuits.
Incorporating this technology into their existing work with quantum dot materials in 300mm silicon photonics, Aeluma looks to optimize optical interconnects for AI infrastructure and advanced sensing applications. This development addresses long-standing challenges in scaling quantum photonic systems.
Matthew Dummer, Ph.D., Director of Technology at Aeluma, highlighted the importance of this integration: "By merging the performance of compound semiconductors with the scalability of silicon photonics, we are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in quantum and AI."
Garrett Cole, Ph.D., Manager of Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions, commented on the collaboration: "The heterogeneous integration of compound semiconductor materials on silicon is broadly applicable and shows significant promise for quantum photonics."
This breakthrough not only enhances the scope for quantum computing technologies but also broadens the horizon for high-tech markets including mobile, AI, defense, aerospace, automotive, and beyond, providing a scalable and economically viable solution.
