Wave Photonics Unveils SiNQ Process for Quantum Photonics

Wave Photonics, experts in integrated photonics design, has announced the availability of SiNQ, a silicon nitride fabrication process developed by CORNERSTONE for quantum photonic systems and emitters.

The process, supported by the industry’s most expansive process design kit (PDK), features 1056 pre-validated components across 33 wavelengths, spanning 493nm to 1550nm.

The SiNQ process leverages Wave Photonics’ core computational design technology to optimize device performance by mitigating fabrication imperfections. This capability enables the development of trapped ion and atom systems, NV centers, quantum dots, and a broad range of quantum photonic applications, addressing key challenges in quantum computing, secure communication, and advanced sensing technologies.

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Enhanced Performance and Fabrication-Aware Design

According to wafer-scale measured data from the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult, SiNQ demonstrates a 2x improvement in component performance uniformity over conventional inverse-designed components.

The PDK incorporates fabrication-aware S-parameters, enabling precise circuit modeling. It is compatible with GDSFactory and Siemens L-Edit, with integration into Luceda’s IPKISS currently in progress. Each component is fully documented, and the kit is ready for use with the turnkey QPICPAC packaging service, as well as offering built-in compatibility with the PHIX characterization package.

“The diversity of wavelengths used in quantum technologies, spanning through the visible range and into the infra-red, has long presented a challenge for photonic integration”, said James Lee the CEO of Wave Photonics. “With the release of the SiNQ process and PDK, we’re demonstrating the power and flexibility of the design
technology we’ve been building and showing that photonics design across the visible range is now a solved problem. Making a quantum photonic integrated circuit is now like playing with Lego and can be done by simply putting pre-designed building blocks together.”

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Industry Support for Quantum Photonics Advancement

The release is a result of collaborative development efforts between Wave Photonics, CORNERSTONE, CSA Catapult, and Oxford Ionics, with funding from a £500K Innovate UK project focused on silicon nitride for quantum computing. The SiNQ process also supports CORNERSTONE’s mission to accelerate silicon photonics innovation across multiple industries.

“Integrated photonics are one of the crucial enabling technologies towards building scalable trapped-ion quantum computers,” said Chris Goodings, VP Engineering, Oxford Ionics. “Designing photonic components at the more unusual wavelengths needed for quantum computing remains a challenge, often needing experimental iterations to center the performance over process variation — so the ability to provide “right-first-time” designs would be of great benefit both to Oxford Ionics and the wider photonic community. We were delighted to work with Wave and the broader consortium on this project, providing input and insights on specs as well as fabricating designs using our own Quantum Processor manufacturing process.”

“The mission of the CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre is to build a pipeline of silicon photonics enabled companies in multiple industries. Two of the challenges to achieving this mission are lowering the barrier to entry for those new to the field and reducing the time to market for products, said Callum Littlejohns, CORNERSTONE Coordinator. “The release of Wave Photonics’ expansive PDK is a key step toward overcoming these challenges.”

Mark Goossens, Business Development Manager at CSA Catapult, added: “We see this innovative new process as a powerful industrial tool for ensuring yield and scale up of product designs for quantum applications.”

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Driving Industry Innovation in Quantum Photonics

The SiNQ process also aligns with the broader push toward high-performance multi-wavelength quantum photonic integration.

Noted Carson Bradbury, Co-Founder of Siemens Cre8Ventures,   “The release of the SiNQ process and PDK by Wave Photonics is a groundbreaking moment for the quantum photonics community. By addressing the challenges of multi-wavelength integration with fabrication-aware design, Wave Photonics is transforming how quantum photonic integrated circuits are developed, enabling faster innovation with greater reliability. Siemens Cre8Ventures is proud to support such advancements, which align with our mission to foster collaboration and accelerate deep tech breakthroughs that push the boundaries of what’s possible in quantum and beyond.”

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About Wave Photonics

Wave Photonics is a Cambridge-based deep tech company specializing in computationally optimized integrated photonics design for quantum and classical applications. Its proprietary fabrication-aware design process enhances photonic circuit performance and scalability, improving efficiency across multiple wavelengths. Wave Photonics collaborates with leading research institutions and industry partners to advance quantum and silicon photonics technologies.

For more information, please click here.

Source/Photo Credit: Wave Photonics

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