We are excited to announce that our joint Sinergia Project: Sustainable Group-IV Active Photonics Research (SUGAR) has been approved for funding by the SNSF and will start in the spring of 2024. SUGAR is an interdisciplinary project that aims to develop a more sustainable photonics platform, based on group IV elements (Si, Ge, Sn). The proposal emphasizes sustainability throughout the entire device life-cycle, incorporating life cycle assessment (LCA) from extraction to end-of-life.
Anna Fontcuberta-i-Morral at EPFL will focus on developing the materials platform, while Kirsten Moselund at PSI is responsible for device implementations based on EPFL's materials. Stephan Pfister at ETHZ collaborates with both EPFL and PSI to address sustainability in materials growth and device fabrication. All parties work together to evaluate the energy-efficiency potential of the produced devices and conduct LCA, each drawing from their individual expertise.
