Lightwave Logic develops ‘polymer without a package’ approach for photonic integration

Dec. 17, 2020

Use of the sealant will enable “a polymer modulator without a package,” which the company says is an important development toward use of the technology in photonic integrated platforms.

Stephen Hardy

Lightwave Logic, Inc. (OTCQX: LWLG) says it has further inched its proprietary electro-optic polymer approach toward commercialization with the development of a sealant for its polymer platform that blocks oxygen and other atmospheric gases. Use of the sealant will enable “a polymer modulator without a package,” which the company says is an important development toward use of the technology in photonic integrated platforms.

The sealant obviates the need for a hermetic “gold-box” approach to protect the polymer-based modulators from the effects of the surrounding atmosphere. Lightwave Logic says that potential customers want such a simpler approach, which should prove less costly and bulky as well. Removing the need for a separate, bulky package also makes more straightforward the integration of the polymer-based modulators with other optical and electronic chips, including those based on silicon photonics.

Lightwave Logic says the sealant has shown encouraging performance in tests; however, the company plans to continue development work to further optimize the sealant's properties to better enable chip-on-board designs.

"I am proud of our team for this exciting breakthrough – as having a sealant that prevents oxygen and other chemicals from reaching the polymer layers gives us an incredible degree of freedom in device design and packaging," said Dr. Michael Lebby, Lightwave Logic’s CEO. "We can for the first time, to my knowledge, contemplate package-less chip-on-board solutions for polymers. These results truly open the door for a host of new opportunities and applications as we address customer feedback from our current technology platform."

Lebby discussed the company’s progress in the use of organic polymers for photonic integration during a Market Focus session at last week’s virtual ECOC 2020. The company is pursuing two main avenues towards integration of the polymer-based modulators in either InP or silicon photonics environments. Lebby declined to place a timetable on when the technology would be ready for full commercialization.

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.