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A new grant will give ������Ƶ students the chance to become leaders in the fast-evolving field of photonics, providing them with the necessary hands-on experience to move from the classroom to the forefront of the industry. 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub awarded ������Ƶ a $1.1 million grant to fund equipment for the school’s Visible Spectrum Characterization and Packaging Hub (VISPACK). The investment will expand ������Ƶ’s LEAP Labs with state-of-the art photonics packaging and testing capabilities. 

According to ������Ƶ’s Physics Photonics and Optical Engineering Professor Samuel Serna Otalvaro, VISPACK will provide hands-on learning, particularly for students enrolled in the school’s photonics and optical engineering undergraduate program. 

“We are bridging the gap between the classroom, lab, and companies,” Otalvaro said. “Our students will be a fundamental part of shaping the future of electronics and photonics…They will become key contributors in the photonics revolution.”

As photonics keeps gaining ground in becoming the go-to technology, the need for reliable packaging is growing fast, but the industry hasn’t quite caught up.  The new VISPACK equipment will help create much needed packaging for new prototypes created not just at ������Ƶ, but in labs across the country.

“Packaging is fundamental,” Otalvaro said. “How do you get a prototype from a clean room into a cell phone? How do you protect it and isolate it from being compromised? Right now, there isn’t a facility in the United States that is adapting to the type of packaging needed.”

Instead of sending prototypes overseas, companies will be able to send them to ������Ƶ’s VISPACK, where researchers and students will use the new equipment to develop this crucial packaging.

Lightfinder, a Cambridge-based electrical equipment manufacturer, is collaborating with ������Ƶ on VISPACK. Their team will provide in-kind contributions that include engineering time, technical input during system integration, and sample devices for testing and validation. 

“VISPACK helps both ������Ƶ and Lightfinder build a local bridge from education and research to manufacturing, strengthening the regional photonics ecosystem,” Otalvaro said. 

������Ƶ Alumnus Matthew Baker, ’25, one of the first graduates of the university’s photonics and optical engineering program, now works at Lightfinder. He said the new grant and VISPACK project will be a major benefit to companies like his. Meanwhile, he added that giving startups like Lightfinder access to lab space at ������Ƶ benefits both the companies and the students. 

“This really creates more opportunities for students who want to get a foothold in the industry,” Baker said. 

It was his experience in the ������Ƶ lab that opened the door to a job at Lightfinder. 

“The quality and amount of equipment ������Ƶ has are incredible, as well as the knowledge of the faculty,” he said. “This new project will give students even more hands-on experience while helping companies with emerging talent. It’s a great way to build a pipeline between the university and the industry.” 

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