Advanced Photonic Components for Communications Technology

In today’s digital world, the demand for bandwidth is continually increasing. With growing numbers of Internet users and a rapid proliferation of mobile devices and cloud computing, the global optical communications network is being pushed beyond capacity. NRC’s Advanced Photonic Components initiative brings industry partners together to explore new opportunities for business and technology deployments, opening the door to innovative discoveries that will pave the way for advanced optical communication and create new opportunities for revenue in the Canadian communications sector.

Partnership opportunity

Canada is a global leader in photonic communication technology, with many of the world’s major telecommunications companies maintaining a presence in our country. The challenge now is for the Canadian photonics industry to capture and grow market share by ramping up its ability to develop, manufacture and deploy the needed optical components and systems.

NRC works with Canadian collaborators to design, validate and deliver the photonic components and component integration technologies that system integrators and service providers need in order to keep pace with the demand for network capacity. We continue to seek a range of partners looking for R&D collaboration, new product introduction and/or pre-commercial production fabrication services, focusing on companies that have the greatest impact on the Canadian industry.

Specific opportunities include having access to:

• Photonic components for optical communications, to expand network capacity and reach;
• Components targeting high data-density, short reach applications, to alleviate congestion in access networks and data centres; and
• Photonic integration, to increase optical chip functionality and reduce size, power consumption and cost.

Partner benefits

In order to succeed, high-speed optical telecommunication equipment manufacturers must continually respond to increasing demands for data traffic. NRC will leverage our high-yield optical component design and fabrication capabilities to help Canada’s leading-edge photonic companies provide their customers with smaller, faster, highly integrated components, increasing their competitiveness by lowering the cost of data transportation.

NRC partners can access:

• Rapid prototyping for III-V and silicon-based photonic components, decreasing time to market;
• Highly repeatable and manufacturable solutions, enabling them to offer their clients a long-term competitive edge; and
• The largest concentration of expertise and facilities in photonic devices, photonics materials and semiconductor device fabrication in Canada.

In addition, partners will benefit from reduced risk in the early stage of new photonic technology development, which will empower them to deploy innovative and competitive ICT products in the global marketplace.

Other services and facilities

NRC also offers a range of photonics-related research services and facilities on an individual, fee-for-service (FFS) basis.