Taking the reins

JAKE SALTZMAN, EDITOR JAKE.SALTZMAN@PHOTONICS.COM

To glean insight from the subtle distinctions that differentiate one technology from another is a worthy proposition. The newness of a technology and the need to distinguish between the concepts of its “forecast” and its “roadmap” elaborate such a formidable undertaking.

Though it had not quite yet adopted its status as a bona fide application, silicon photonics arrived in Photonics Spectra in 2005. The article that marked its debut, “The Quest to Siliconize Photonics,” is indicative of the attention that silicon photonics would subsequently garner and receive from this industry for two decades. More recently, owing to a convergence of once parallel advancements in photonics R&D and semiconductor processes, the prospects for silicon photonics to drive advancements in optical compute, datacom/telecom, and quantum have established its technological maturity.

Forecasts for the next wave of silicon photonics advancements ensued. These advancements, as well as nontechnical factors, such as the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and progress in optical communications, biosensing, and other disciplines, influenced the narrative of silicon innovation. The need for robust supply chains became widely understood in the industry. Intrigue around the technology endured.

Now, challenges pertaining to production costs as well as methods that deviate from the use of established process flows are fueling greater questions regarding the lack of a “killer
application” for silicon photonics. The contrast between the present state of silicon photonics and, for example, solid-state electronics and/or fiber-based optical communications invites these questions about the true meaning of technological maturity and sustainable, future-oriented, real-world deployment.

These questions, though legitimate, meet their match with the subtle distinctions that exist between the present and future. Insofar as it relates to photonic engines in the age of AI and the modern data center, it is nearly impossible to gauge the prolificness of that which is feasible today without anticipating that which could be achievable tomorrow. Engineered silicon substrates, writes global semiconductor materials firm SOITEC, are poised to alter the conversation about the presence of a “killer app.”

The tweak to this conversation may not be so subtle, as silicon photonics permeates the era of AI and grabs hold of the data center.

Speaking of taking the reins, you will notice a new face in the upper left corner of this page. My own formidable undertaking brings me to the editor’s chair of Photonics Spectra. This journey, which is to be shared between us, comes with tremendous pride, much yet to learn, and a wonderful opportunity to connect with a base of readers for which I already have tremendous regard.