Teledyne and Zephyr Photonics partner to advance VCSEL-based optical interconnects
Los Angeles, CA and Zephyr Cove, NV--Teledyne Microelectronic Technologies, a business unit of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, and Zephyr Photonics, are partnering to develop and market optical interconnect technology solutions to meet the high-bandwidth and harsh-environment demands of the defense, aerospace, commercial aviation, and oil and gas industries. The partnership combines Zephyr Photonics' proprietary vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology with Teledyne Microelectronics Technologies' multichip modules and ruggedized fiber-optic assemblies for a variety of applications.
"Together, we will deliver unparalleled and reliable solutions to system designers and improved SWaP for applications and environments where data communications is not just important, it is mission critical and potentially life-saving," said Terry Thomas, executive VP of business development for Zephyr Photonics. "Zephyr Photonics' proprietary high temperature VCSELs can withstand temperatures over 155°C and are well suited for unmanned airborne vehicles, in addition to extreme heat conditions in down hole oil drilling applications."
This is the first major commercial partnership for Zephyr Photonics, which recently transitioned to a commercial enterprise after more than 25 years as a research and development company. The agreement with Teledyne Microelectronic Technologies includes joint product development to address future market opportunities, provides a collaborative sales channel to reach more customers faster while opening new markets via Teledyne's multiple divisions, and establishes a trusted partnership for government funding proposals for new technology development.
Founded in 1987, Zephyr Photonics (formerly OptiComp) is focused on providing solutions to the Department of Defense, and the aerospace, industrial, energy, and intelligence industries. For the past 25 years, Zephyr has worked as a research and development company, creating its unique technology over 60 contracts from U.S. government agencies, communication companies, and defense prime contractors. Zephyr Photonics has independently developed its first commercial solution, a patented VCSEL technology available nowhere else in the country.
Teledyne Microelectronics Technologies is a supplier of multichip modules (MCMs) and custom microelectronics packaging solutions and provides turnkey design, manufacturing, test services and technical expertise to the DoD community, medical, communications and high-end industrial markets and are internationally known for its complex packaging and miniaturization solutions where size and weight are critical parameters and performance must be optimized.
SOURCE: Teledyne Microelectronic Technologies; http://teledynemicro.com/pressreleases/2012/010912.asp
Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)
Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.