SmarAct, Akhetonics Co-Develop 1 nm Optical Test System for Next-Gen PICs
Updated
Updated · physicsworld.com · Jul 23
SmarAct, Akhetonics Co-Develop 1 nm Optical Test System for Next-Gen PICs
1 articles · Updated · physicsworld.com · Jul 23
Summary
Akhetonics and SmarAct built a custom modular optical test workstation to characterize next-generation photonic integrated circuits after off-the-shelf systems proved too restrictive for Akhetonics’ designs.
SmarAct’s nanopositioning hardware forms the core of the setup, using integrated optical encoders with 1 nm resolution and repeatability of ±40 nm on linear axes to support precise optical coupling and electro-optic measurements.
The system combines an XY-Rz chip platform with a Z-Rx-Ry optical probe, plus a digital microscope and electrical probe towers, letting Akhetonics map full optical chips and test large grids of components.
Akhetonics said optical testing demands tens-of-nanometers accuracy because a 1 μm fiber-waveguide mismatch can cause significant coupling losses, making the custom architecture critical for evaluating novel PIC designs.
SmarAct’s SCoPE software and Python interface are intended to help Akhetonics scale testing from R&D to small-batch runs and eventually volume manufacturing of photonic computing hardware.