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Abstract:
This transcript captures an interview with Michael Geiselman, Chief Commercial Officer and co-founder of Ligantech, conducted at the OFC conference. Geiselman discusses his background and passion for photonics, stemming from a deep curiosity that led to his PhD. He elaborates on Ligantech's foundation, built upon EPFL research into silicon nitride (SiN), highlighting SiN's key advantage: significantly lower optical loss compared to traditional silicon, making it ideal for emerging applications like quantum and optical computing. Geiselman details Ligantech's unique offerings, including their low-loss SiN platform, capabilities for co-integrating active components (like III-V detectors and lithium niobate modulators), and scalable manufacturing through a partnership with a 200mm automotive-qualified CMOS fab. He stresses the importance of continuous education, university collaboration for technological advancement, and attracting new talent to the photonics sector. Key industry trends mentioned include the rise of optical computing, as well as opportunities in sensing, medical, and biosensing applications. Finally, Geiselman attributes Ligantech's success in team building to fostering a strong company culture focused on collaboration and shared motivation.
Insights from Ligantech's Co-Founder on Silicon Nitride Photonics and Industry Trends
00:00:13 Introduction: Interview with Michael Geiselman, Chief Commercial Officer and co-founder of Ligantech, at the OFC conference.
00:00:59 Personal Motivation: Geiselman explains his PhD in physics/optics/quantum physics was driven by a fundamental curiosity to understand how things work.
00:01:41 Ligantech's Foundation: The company originated from research at EPFL focusing on silicon nitride (SiN) photonics.
00:02:20 Silicon Nitride Advantage: SiN offers significantly lower optical loss (100-1000x less) compared to silicon, crucial for loss-sensitive applications like quantum and optical computing where preserving photons is paramount. This low loss is achieved through specific deposition techniques.
00:03:17 Ligantech's Core Offering: Provides fabrication capabilities based on their very low-loss silicon nitride platform.
00:03:27 Active Component Integration: Ligantech uniquely offers co-integration of active components, such as III-V detectors and lithium niobate modulators, onto their passive low-loss SiN platform where needed by customers.
00:03:45 Scalable Manufacturing: Ligantech partners with an automotive-qualified 200mm CMOS fab, enabling high-volume production to meet market demands.
00:04:25 Importance of Education & Collaboration: Geiselman stresses the need for continuous technological advancement, often driven by long-term university research, and the importance of collaboration between industry and academia.
00:05:28 Attracting Talent: Educating and motivating young people to enter photonics is vital to build the future workforce of engineers and project leaders.
00:06:23 Key Industry Trend - Optical Computing: Optical computing is highlighted as a major topic and next step discussed at OFC, though not yet at large scale.
00:06:42 Other Application Areas: Beyond communication, photonics integration offers significant value in sensing, medical, and biosensing applications, enabling miniaturized systems.
00:07:24 Building the Team: Ligantech prioritizes hiring for cultural fit alongside talent to create a strong team spirit, fostering collaboration and mutual motivation, which helps attract and retain employees.