Photonic chip packaging facility opens in Brisbane

The Queensland Advanced Photonics Packaging Centre (Q-APP) is now open at CSIRO’s Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT) in Pullenvale and is the first facility in Australia to prepare tiny photonic chips for real-world technologies.

The next-generation microchips packaged by Q-APP could soon be instrumental in the development of fibre-optic communication and advanced sensing technology, with applications in quantum computing, mining, fire detection and construction.

Photonic chips use light to enhance computing, processing data at super-fast speeds, while being more energy-efficient than standard silicon chips. At Q-APP, the intricate parts that make up a photonic chip will be carefully connected and tested, using specialised equipment under sterile environments.

Image caption: A researcher adjusts precision optical equipment in a laboratory, working with a microscope-based imaging system. Image credit: CSIRO

CSIRO Research Group Leader Karsten Hoehn said the opening of Q-APP will help accelerate the real-world use of promising photonics technologies.

“Q-APP helps bridge the gap between an idea and reality, giving Australian researchers and companies access to the expertise and equipment needed to build and test photonic chips locally. This facility allows us greater mobility and speed in our progress in next-generation computing, bringing developments in faster communications, advanced manufacturing and future quantum systems one step closer than before,” Hoehn said.

Prior to the opening of the $6 million CSIRO facility, photonic chip parts had to be sent overseas for packaging.

Queensland’s Chief Scientist Dr Kerrie Wilson said this facility would support Queensland’s ambition to grow its quantum and advanced technologies sector and create the workforce it needs to succeed.

“Our science and innovation ecosystem includes researchers working closely with industry partners to develop and scale these technologies, enabling commercialisation of Queensland discoveries and innovations,” Wilson said.

Q-APP is primarily funded through the Queensland Government’s Quantum and Advanced Technologies Commercialisation Infrastructure Program. The program is designed to help startups and industry accelerate the development and commercialisation of prototype devices, strengthening Queensland’s emerging quantum and advanced technology sectors and workforce.

Top image caption: A researcher uses precision tweezers to position a device during laboratory testing and packaging. Image credit: CSIRO