We are pleased to announce and invite you to one of our weekly online zoom events.
 

On-chip Optical Gain: A Missing Element in Silicon Photonics

Amir Youssefi will present the erbium-doped photonic integrated circuit (Er-PIC) platform developed at EDWATEC, which enables on-chip optical amplification and lasing for silicon photonics—serving as a critical engine for high-speed interconnects in AI infrastructure and data centers. As demand grows for compact and scalable optical amplification, particularly in data centers and long-haul interconnects, EDWATEC’s Erbium-doped waveguide amplifier technology  harnesses low-loss silicon nitride waveguides and incorporates erbium ion implantation to address long-standing challenges in miniaturizing optical amplifiers. Its devices offer up to a 1,000-fold reduction in footprint compared to traditional fiber-based technologies (EDFA) while matching their performance.

Additionally, EDWATEC demonstrates erbium-integrated lasers with ultra-narrow linewidths, broad tunability, and exceptional stability. These advances bridge the gap between bulky fiber systems and semiconductor-based solutions, unlocking new possibilities in communications, sensing, and LiDAR. Mr. Youssefi will conclude by outlining the progress in scalable manufacturing, robust packaging, and seamless integration with silicon photonics—laying the foundation for the broad adoption of Er-PICs in next-generation optical systems.

Speaker

Dr. Amir Youssefi, Co-founder and CTO of EDWATEC
Dr. Amir Youssefi is the co-founder and CTO of EDWATEC SA, a Swiss startup developing Erbium-doped photonic integrated circuits for on-chip optical amplification and lasing. He received his PhD from the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurement (LPQM) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and his B.Sc. in both Electrical Engineering and Physics from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. His research was focused on photonics, hybrid quantum systems, quantum opto-mechanics, and electro-optic devices. In 2012, he was awarded the silver medal in the 43rd International Physics Olympiad in Estonia. He was awarded the 2023 Swiss Nanotechnology Prize, recognizing his activities in development of ultra-coherent quantum oscillators

Moderator

Dr. Christian Bosshard, Managing Director Swissphotonics
Dr. Christian Bosshard received his degree in Physics (1986) and his doctorate (1991, Silver medal award) from ETH. From 2001-2021 he was working at CSEM, first as Section Head and then as Vice President and Head Photonics. Since 2013 he is Managing Director of Swissphotonics. Christian is a Fellow of Optica, former Board Member of EPIC, and Member of the Board of the University of Basel.

Date
Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Time
12:00 - 12:45

Software
Zoom

Costs
free of charge

Registration only necessary once
This event series requires registration (see link above). We will send you the access information (Zoom-link and ID) by email after the registration. As the Zoom link remains the same every week, you do not need to register again for the following meetings.

Contact Edwatec
Dr. Amir Youssefi 
Co-founder and CTO of EDWATEC

Contact Swissphotonics
Dr. Christian Bosshard
Managing Director Swissphotonics
+41 79 405 1826

12 November 2025, Christian Bosshard