University of Southampton to develop cutting-edge semiconductor technologies based on photonic chips in major European project 

The University of Southampton, represented by the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre, is one of two UK participants named as part of the PIXEurope consortium, a collaboration between research organisations from across Europe which will develop, and manufacture prototypes based on photonic chips. 

Photonic chips transmit and manipulate light and offer significantly faster performance with lower power consumption than traditional electronic chips.  Photonic chips are already essential across a wide range of applications, from tackling the unprecedented energy demands of data centres, to enabling high-speed data transmission for mobile and satellite communications. In the future, these chips will become ever more important, unlocking new applications in healthcare, AI and quantum computing.  

The PIXEurope pilot line consortium has been selected by the European Commission and Chips Joint Undertaking, a European initiative aiming to bolster the semiconductor industry by fostering collaboration between member states and the private sector. The consortium, coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Spain, is supported by €380m in total funding. The new pilot line will combine state-of-the-art equipment and expertise from research organisations across 11 countries. It aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge photonic technologies across more industries to boost their efficiency. 

The UK participants, the University of Southampton and the University of Cambridge, will be backed by up to £4.2 million in funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), match-funded by Horizon Europe. Researchers at the UK partners will be responsible for the integration of graphene and related materials into silicon based photonic circuits for energy efficient, high-speed communications and quantum devices.  

The new pilot line aims to offer cutting-edge technological platforms, transforming and transferring innovative and disruptive integrated photonics processes and technologies to accelerate their industrial adoption. The objective is the creation of European-owned/made technology in a sector of capital importance for technological sovereignty, and the creation and maintenance of corresponding jobs in the UK and across Europe.  

“My congratulations to CORNERSTONE and the Cambridge Graphene Centre on being selected to pioneer the new pilot line – taking a central role in driving semiconductor innovation to the next level, encouraging adoption of new technologies,” said Science Minister Lord Vallance. “The UK laid the foundations of silicon photonics in the 1990s, and by pooling our expertise with partners across Europe we can address urgent global challenges including energy consumption and efficiency.” 

PIXEurope is the first photonics pilot line that unifies the whole supply chain from design and fabrication, to testing and packaging, with technology platforms that will support a broad spectrum of applications,” said CORNERSTONE Coordinator Professor Callum Littlejohns. “I am delighted that CORNERSTONE will form a crucial part of this programme.” 

Prof Graham Reed, Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the school that hosts CORNERSTONE at the University of Southampton, highlights “UK participation in PIXEurope is fantastic news as it represents an opportunity to collaborate closely with experts in Europe. It is also an acknowledgement of the impact that CORNERSTONE has created to date.” 

“The UK’s participation in the first Europe-wide photonics pilot line marks the start of the world’s first open access photonics integrated circuits ecosystem, stimulating new technology development with industry and catalyse disruptive innovation across the UK, while strengthening UK collaboration with top European institutions working in the field” said Professor Andrea Ferrari from the University of Cambridge.