Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Photonic circuits are pushing the revolutionary frontiers established by electronics. In 2008, we established a test facility to perform automated photonic measurements consisting of precision alignment, optical spectra, electrical stimulus, and microfluidics. Today, UBC is an established leader in integrated photonics. Our facility has spun off multiple startups, technology transfers, patents, licensing agreements, government and industrial collaborations. Our test facility inspired similar designs at other universities (Queens, Laval, Toronto) and two startups were launched by alumni to commercialize the probe stations. Our current facility characterizes photonic devices near 1550nm wavelength. We have used this system to demonstrate novel photonic components, and shared their models publicly with the world, leading to wide adoption. The system also helped characterize novel biosensors with the potential to democratize point-of-care and at-home diagnostic testing for COVID and other diseases. The 1550nm equipment also supports multiple research grants, including SiEPICfab Canadian Foundry process development. It led to innovative training courses, whereby design-fabricate-test cycles allow students to experimentally validate their novel designs. The next research frontier involves silicon chips that are enhanced by novel materials on the surface. Applications include high-volume biosensors, optical and quantum computing - many of which operate near 1310 nm. Missing is a facility to selectively deposit materials on our chips and to test them at 1310 nm. Foundries offer a process to expose the optical waveguide for subsequent post-processing. This allows researchers to prototype novel devices that incorporate materials such as polymers for modulators and receptor molecules for biosensors. What is missing is a means to "functionalize" or deposit several different materials in small volumes to cover small sizes (<100 µm), selectively, and accurately. The fund will be used to build a piezoelectric inkjet dispensing system to dispense small volumes of reagents onto silicon photonic chips with high spatial precision. The multiplexed architecture will allow simultaneous assay for different infections/biomarkers. The platform will be used to dispense electro-optic polymers to make high speed modulators for optical computing and cryogenic quantum computing. We hope to share this general platform and provide functionalized chips to the Canadian research community. A swept tunable 1310nm measurement system will enable new experiments in a) biosensors with improved performance over fundamental limitations due to optical losses at 1550nm, b) data centre optical communications and computing, c) quantum photonics. Our current systems are shared by 27 HQP and several experiments for Canada-wide NSERC CREATE workshops. This has led to delays in publications and training. The RTI funds will increase ongoing and enable new experiments and HQP involvement.