Hybrid integration of silicon photonics circuits and InP lasers by photonic wire bonding

Efficient coupling of III–V light sources to silicon photonic circuits is one of the key challenges of integrated optics. Important requirements are low coupling losses, as well as a small footprint and a high yield of the overall assembly, along with the ability to use automated processes for large-scale production. In this paper, we demonstrate that photonic wire bonding addresses these challenges by exploiting direct-write two-photon lithography for in situ fabrication of three-dimensional freeform waveguides between optical chips. In a series of proof-of-concept experiments, we connect indium phosphide (InP)-based horizontal-cavity surface-emitting lasers to passive silicon photonic circuits with insertion losses down to 0.4 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most efficient interface between an InP light source and a silicon photonic chip that has so far been demonstrated. Our experiments represent a key step in advancing photonic wire bonding to a universal integration platform for hybrid photonic multi-chip assemblies that combine known-good dies of different materials to high-performance hybrid multi-chip modules.