March 25, 2024 - Dr.
Marko Lončar participated in the forum, "Technologies and Applications of
Thin Film Lithium Niobate Photonics," held by AFR and HyperLight, and
delivered a speech titled "High Performance Integrated Photonics based on
Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN)."
About Marko Lončar and HyperLight
Marko Lončar is
Tiantsai Lin Professor of Electrical Engineering at Harvard's John A Paulson
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and chair of Electrical
Engineering area. Lončar received his Diploma from University of Belgrade (R.
Serbia) in 1997, and PhD from Caltech in 2003, both in Electrical Engineering.
After completing his postdoctoral studies at Harvard, he joined Harvard faculty
in 2006. Lončar is expert in nanophotonics and nanofabrication, and his group
has done pioneering work in the field of quantum and nonlinear nanophotonics.
In particular, Lončar is recognized for his work on the development of diamond
and thin film lithium niobate nanophotonic platforms. Lončar has co-authored
more than 250 manuscripts in top scientific journals and has given more than
300 invited talks and seminars. He has received NSF CAREER Award in 2009, Sloan
Fellowship in 2010, Marko Jarić Foundation Award in 2020, and Microoptics
Conference Award in 2023. In recognition of his teaching activities, Lončar has
been awarded Harvard University Levenson Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate
Teaching (2012), and has been named Harvard College Professor in 2017. Lončar
is Fellow of Optica and IEEE. He is co-founder of HyperLight Corporation
(Cambridge, MA), VC backed startup commercializing lithium-niobate technology.
HyperLight
was a spin-off of Harvard University with the mission to push the performance
boundaries of TFLN integrated circuits for next-generation applications. As a
leader in the commercialization of TFLN photonic integrated circuits,
HyperLight delivers groundbreaking electro-optic and nonlinear optic solutions
with innovative designs and scalable manufacturing processes.
Emergence
of a Mature, Comprehensive, and Reliable TFLN Supply Chain
The optimistic
outlook within the TFLN industry is attracting numerous technology companies,
leading to the swift evolution of a comprehensive ecosystem. It is encouraging
to note that an increasing number of technology enterprises and startups
worldwide are converging onto this track, shaping the future of the industry
collectively, covering materials, wafers, chips, modulators, and optical
modules.
In the panel
discussion, representatives from key players of the supply chain, including
NanoLN in wafer manufacturing, AFR, HyperLight, Liobate, Ori-Chip, and FOC in
chip production, Hisense and Linktel in transceivers, exchanged opinions about
the prospect of TFLN, technology breakthroughs, and how to make it more ready
for near future large volume applications.
As we observe
together, the TFLN supply chain is steadily maturing, becoming more
comprehensive and reliable over time. The growth and integration of each
component signify a promising future for TFLN technology, establishing it as a
pivotal player in the global technological landscape.
