Vector Photonics develops new laser packaging
Vector Photonics, the Scottish laser scale-up, has started a new program that addresses the lack of scalable, thermally efficient and resource effective packaging for photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs).
The company’s Accelerated Manufacturing for PCSEL Packaging Solutions (AMPPS) project adds a critical manufacturing capability into its manufacturing process, paving the way for industry’s first high power, high brightness, large area surface emitting laser platforms that are optimised for data centre applications and silicon photonics integration.
CEO Richard Taylor comments: “As global demand for high bandwidth optical interconnects accelerates driven by AI, current laser supply chains are becoming constrained by thermal bottlenecks, yield limitations and dependence on a narrow set of device and packaging technologies. AMPPS responds directly to this need by exploring new, manufacturable packaging architectures that improve performance, reduce waste, and enhance supply chain resilience across multiple UK growth sectors.”
He says that PCSELs are ideally positioned for next generation networks. "PCSELs improve system performance because of their mode purity, low divergence, and efficient coupling across various platforms. Vector Photonics’ new packaging initiative will enable PCSEL technology to overcome real world system level constraints. It will deliver packaged demonstrators, thermal optimised assembly concepts, process flow documentation, and design kits. "
Concludes Taylor: “Our AMPPS program strengthens the UK's position in global photonics value chains, accelerates the commercialisation of PCSEL technology, and lays the foundation for future growth in resource efficient, resilient, UK based manufacturing for high performance optical communications.”
Vector Photonics will exhibit at Europe’s optical communications event, ECOC, in Malaga, Spain, 21 – 23 September 2026
