Researchers of the Institute of Electrical and Optical
Communications Engineering (INT) at the University of Stuttgart and the
Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS) achieved a new world record
in the energy efficient integration in silicon. This is an important step to
decrease the energy consumption of data transfer in internet and
telecommunication. The researchers optimized aperiodic grating couplers in the
nanometer range with a new developed backside metal mirror. Through this new
method a record coupling efficiency of 87 percent between optical fibers and
photonic integrated waveguides on silicon wafers has been achieved.