Enhancing data transmission capacity

Modular photonics is a recent passive fibre-optic technology that significantly increases data transmission rates.

How we’re speeding up data transmission

This technology uses a novel integrated photonic chip to enhance the data rate across existing multimode fibre links by over ten times the current rate. It enables multiple data channels to operate in parallel without the length restrictions imposed by conventional multimode fibre links.

The idea of modular photonics was born at Macquarie University and recently went through the CSIRO AcceleratiON 2 program, the first ON Accelerate program open to universities.

The CSIRO ON Accelerator is an intensive three-month program open for teams of CSIRO staff and external collaborators to develop and validate high potential commercial opportunities. It concentrates on commercialisation in a highly structured process of market validation.

“I have been in senior positions for many years and it has been my job to motivate and energise other people,” said Professor Mick Withford, “this is the first time in two decades someone has energised me.”

The team was made up by Professor Mick Withford, Dr Simon Gross, Dr Nicolas Riesen (University of Adelaide), Anna Grocholsky and Dr Derek Van Dyk.

Macquarie has gone on to enter more teams in CSIRO’s Accelerate programs with applications being successful in the last three rounds.