About This Webinar
Nowadays, photonic packaging is rapidly evolving, driven by the rise of integrated and quantum photonics. For example, an efficient and precise connection between optical fibers and photonic integrated circuits is essential to ensure high performance, low latency, and signal integrity. FEMTOPRINT, a leader in ultrafast laser microfabrication, addresses this need through the production of high-precision glass microcomponents that offer a unique combination of design flexibility, engineering precision, and scalability for industrial applications.
FEMTOPRINT develops and manufactures complex monolithic fiber-to-chip microconnectors in glass, which can include passive fiber alignment features, 3D optical waveguide devices such as couplers, fan-in/fan-out structures, and spot-size converters, as well as micro-optical elements for beam shaping and routing. As representative examples, we will introduce the basic building blocks of glass microconnectors, in particular fiber alignment microstructures, 3D waveguides for light routing, and micro-optical elements for light deflection at tight angles for compact fiber-to-chip coupling.
This configuration is particularly suitable for application in quantum photonics and co-packaged optics. We notably discuss the importance of glass microconnectors for the latter application field, where optical interconnects are foreseen to play a pivotal role in addressing the scaling challenges for new AI data centers in terms of low power consumption, high bandwidth density, low latency, and high speed. We present the key building blocks while discussing their design, fabrication, and characterization of achievable accuracies and tolerances, aiming to demonstrate the potential of femtosecond laser micromachining in advancing the integration of photonic components for cutting-edge applications.
Who should attend:
Project managers, product managers, heads of R&D, CTOs, and CPOs of companies involved in developing and scaling up devices and systems for the new generation of optical transceivers and quantum photonics applications. Attendees will learn about the possibilities offered by glass microcomponents for fiber connectivity — one of the solutions developed by the industry for new products targeting data centers, AI, and quantum applications.
About the presenters:
Rolando Ferrini is the chief product officer (CPO) at FEMTOPRINT. He earned his Ph.D. in physics in 1999 at the Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy, with a thesis on the optical properties of III-V semiconductor materials for electronics and optoelectronics. Between 2000 and 2004, he was a research associate at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he studied the optical properties of semiconductor-based photonic crystal devices. From 2004 to 2011, as a senior research associate at EPFL, he led activities on organic devices for optics, photonics, and lighting.
From 2011 to 2022, Ferrini worked at CSEM as group leader of MicroNano Optics and served as head of the Focus Area Photonics in 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, he founded the PHABULOuS pilot line for manufacturing freeform micro-optical components, acting both as project coordinator of the related Horizon 2020 project and as managing director.
Davide Lomellini joined FEMTOPRINT in 2024 as Sales Manager for North America, bringing over 15 years of international experience in automation, optics and photonics.He began his career in Italy, where he spent six years developing expertise in machine vision, robotics and automated optical inspection systems. From 2018 to 2021, working at SUSS MicroOptics, he specialized in micro-optics for the semiconductor, telecom/datacom, and medical device industries, working closely with leading customers and system integrators across Europe and North America.
In 2021, he relocated to the United States to expand his commercial and technical leadership experience, supporting customers in advanced photonics and precision manufacturing sectors, while supporting SUSS MicroTec on mask aligner systems for lithography applications. At FEMTOPRINT, he is responsible for business development and key account management in the U.S. and Canada, focusing on scaling laser-fabricated glass microdevices—from prototyping to high-volume production—for applications in photonics, micro-optics, and MEMS.