Skip to content
Bits&Chips
×

Your cart is currently empty!

×
Memberships
Advertising
Magazines
Videos
Contact

Log in

Headline

On-chip laser is made entirely from silicon-like elements

20 January 2025
Paul van Gerven
Reading time: 1 minute

An international research team led by Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) has demonstrated the world’s first electrically pumped continuous-wave semiconductor laser made entirely with silicon-like elements. Constructed from stacked layers of silicon-germanium-tin and germanium-tin on top of the silicon base, the device fulfills a long-standing dream of silicon photonics.

Scanning electron micrograph of the lasing structure. Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich/Jhonny Tiscareno

Traditionally, light generation in integrated photonics relies on using III-V materials, which are difficult to integrate directly with silicon – although research institute Imec has recently reported a breakthrough in that area. FZJ’s laser takes another approach, using only group IV elements.

Unlike previous germanium-tin lasers that relied on high-energy optical pumping, this new laser operates with a low current injection of just 5 milliamperes at 2 volts, comparable to the energy consumption of a light-emitting diode. The downside is that it does so at an unpractically low temperature of 90 kelvins. However, with the success of earlier optically pumped germanium-tin lasers, which have evolved from cryogenic to room-temperature operation in only a few years, the researchers see a clear path forward.

Related content

Semi: advanced nodes take the lead in global fab expansion

Top jobs
Product Manager / Application Support
WOOPTIX
Eindhoven
Events
Courses
Headlines
  • Semi: advanced nodes take the lead in global fab expansion

    3 July 2025
  • Salland Electronics shuts down

    2 July 2025
  • Tomtom navigates 300 job cuts in AI-driven restructuring

    1 July 2025
  • SRON’s Ilse Aben awarded Stevin Prize

    30 June 2025
  • TU Delft demonstrates spin transport in graphene without magnets

    30 June 2025
  • Eugène Reuvekamp to lead Chiptech Twente

    24 June 2025
  • Intel publishes 18A PPA improvements

    24 June 2025
  • Superlight launches compact wideband laser for industrial spectroscopy

    23 June 2025
  • TUE puts semiconductor and systems innovation research under one roof

    20 June 2025
  • OrangeQS secures €12M to scale quantum chip testing

    19 June 2025
  • NLR and Photonfirst to deploy fiber‑optic sensing in helicopter fleet

    18 June 2025
  • Quantware raises $27M to fast-track million-qubit quantum computers

    18 June 2025
  • New Origin foundry seeks additional €40M investment

    17 June 2025
  • US pushes Netherlands, others to tighten export curbs

    17 June 2025
  • Wil van de Wiel relieves John van Soerland at the Xiver wheel

    17 June 2025
  • World’s first 2D-material CMOS computer makes debut

    12 June 2025
  • Besi lifts sales forecast

    12 June 2025
  • Marcelo Ackermann to head ARCNL

    12 June 2025
  • European InP pilot line lands on High Tech Campus

    11 June 2025
  • Imec reworks forksheet to ease GAA manufacturability

    11 June 2025
Bits&Chips logo

Bits&Chips strengthens the high tech ecosystem in the Netherlands and Belgium and makes it healthier by supplying independent knowledge and information.

Bits&Chips focuses on news and trends in embedded systems, electronics, mechatronics and semiconductors. Our coverage revolves around the influence of technology.

Advertising
Subscribe
Events
Contact
High-Tech Systems Magazine (Dutch)
(c) Techwatch bv. All rights reserved. Techwatch reserves the rights to all information on this website (texts, images, videos, sounds), unless otherwise stated.
  • Memberships
  • Advertising
  • Videos
  • Contact
  • Search
Privacy settings

Bits&Chips uses technologies such as functional and analytical cookies to improve the user experience of the website. By consenting to the use of these technologies, we may capture (personal) data, unique identifiers, device and browser data, IP addresses, location data and browsing behavior. Want to know more about how we use your data? Please read our privacy statement.

 

Give permission or set your own preferences

Functional Always active
Functional cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. It is therefore not possible to reject or disable them.
Voorkeuren
De technische opslag of toegang is noodzakelijk voor het legitieme doel voorkeuren op te slaan die niet door de abonnee of gebruiker zijn aangevraagd.
Statistics
Analytical cookies are used to store statistical data. This data is stored and analyzed anonymously to map the use of the website. De technische opslag of toegang die uitsluitend wordt gebruikt voor anonieme statistische doeleinden. Zonder dagvaarding, vrijwillige naleving door je Internet Service Provider, of aanvullende gegevens van een derde partij, kan informatie die alleen voor dit doel wordt opgeslagen of opgehaald gewoonlijk niet worden gebruikt om je te identificeren.
Marketing
Technical storage or access is necessary to create user profiles for sending advertising or to track the user on a site or across sites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}