It was a pleasure to welcome Professor Graham Reed from the University of Southampton to the Cambridge Graphene Centre today as part of the ongoing QAMSS Lecture Series. Prof. Reed, a leading figure in silicon photonics, delivered an insightful and thought-provoking presentation titled "Silicon Photonics".
In his talk, Prof. Reed shared cutting-edge research from the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), highlighting how silicon photonics is evolving into a key platform for scalable, high-performance optical systems. He discussed recent breakthroughs in high-speed modulators and transmitters, which now achieve data rates exceeding 50 Gb/s through advanced carrier-depletion and injection-based designs. These compact, energy-efficient devices are poised to play a crucial role in the future of data centres and communication networks.
Prof. Reed also explored progress in phase tuning technologies—including thermo-optic, electro-optic, and hybrid mechanisms—that enable precise control in reconfigurable photonic circuits. Additionally, he introduced exciting developments in mid-infrared (mid-IR) silicon photonics, a rapidly growing field with promising applications in healthcare diagnostics and environmental sensing. Operating across the 2–10 µm range, mid-IR devices take advantage of strong molecular absorption features to deliver high sensitivity in detecting target analytes.
Supporting this research is the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre, which offers open-access design and fabrication capabilities to accelerate photonics innovation across academia and industry.
The lecture sparked engaging discussion and thoughtful questions from the audience, reflecting the growing interest in integrated photonics within the QAMSS community.
We extend our sincere thanks to Prof. Reed for his visit and inspiring contribution. The QAMSS Lecture Series continues every Friday during Easter Term 2025 until 8 August, with more exciting talks to come. Stay tuned!
