PIC packaging progress on project SANTANA

PIC packaging progress on project SANTANA

SANTANA is a cutting-edge project driving the development of a compact, rugged optoelectronic module designed to meet the demanding requirements of next-generation, optically enabled quantum atomic clocks. At its core, SANTANA brings bold innovations into the mainstream of laser technology and photonic integration—pioneering features such as a non-magnetic optical isolator, passive self-injection frequency locking, ultra-high finesse silicon nitride (SiN) microring resonators, and photonic wirebonding for high-power, chip-to-chip optical connectivity.

The project is spearheaded by Bay Photonics, in collaboration with Sacher Lasertechnik (Marburg, Germany), Technische Universität Berlin (TUB), and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington, England. This international partnership draws on deep domain expertise across photonics, materials, and precision measurement.

Sacher is leading the development of a high-performance semiconductor laser chip, while TUB applies its leading-edge capability in photonic wirebonding to deliver the crucial optical interface between the laser and the SiN cavity platform. NPL contributes its renowned capabilities in resonator design and world-class test infrastructure to ensure optical performance meets the exacting standards of quantum technologies. Meanwhile, Bay Photonics is engineering a robust, miniaturized module that serves as the laser’s primary housing—an integrated platform providing thermal, mechanical, optical, and electrical interfaces. Designed with manufacturability in mind, the housing leverages Bay’s automated assembly capabilities to reduce complexity and enhance scalability.

Building on the success of their Bay Evaluation Vehicle (BEVi)—a proven platform for packaging photonic integrated circuits (PICs) aligned to fibre v-groove arrays—Bay has further developed the “mini-BEVi”: a lighter, more compact version tailored for PICs up to 10 mm × 10 mm. Despite its smaller footprint, the mini-BEVi maintains robustness and user-friendliness, featuring east–west optical inputs, 100 electrical contacts split evenly north and south, integrated thermal management via a TEC and thermistor, and an observation window.

The UK partners in SANTANA are supported by Innovate UK, underlining the project’s strategic significance to the UK’s quantum technology roadmap and its commitment to advancing sovereign capabilities in photonic and quantum systems.