Objectives

The consortium of the QUDOS programme combines the groundbreaking research capabilities of the four universities on photonics to create a new era in optical integration so that all major photonic functions can be implemented on silicon substrates using monolithically integrated components. This will be achieved by completing the following objectives:

• To transform current photonic systems used in communications, information processing and sensing through the cocreation of our programme with data centre architects, communications system designers and biomedical sensor users to provide solutions that offer far higher levels of integration and dramatic reductions in cost, thus giving to photonics the same benefits that the integrated circuit gave to electronics; 
• To create quantum dot optical devices, including lasers, amplifiers, modulators and detectors for photonic integrated circuits by direct epitaxy on silicon;
• To integrate these devices using silicon photonics technologies to create the first monolithically integrated photonic circuits on silicon to include practical optical sources; and
• Working with our industrial partners to explore future applications of this new approach to integration to systems such as low cost high data rate interconnects, advanced switch fabrics and biomedical sensors.