Dr. Laura Horan
Product Management Leader
Vanguard Automation
Dr. Laura Horan is responsible for leading Product Management at Vanguard Automation, based in Karlsruhe, Germany. She has over 10 years of professional experience in the UK and in Germany, with a focus on the development of optical products and metrology for the medical, automotive, and manufacturing sectors. Laura holds a Ph.D. in Physics from University College Cork, awarded for her work investigating the applications of Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fibers at the Tyndall National Institute in Ireland, for which she was granted an IRCSET scholarship.
Presentations
The Future of Optical Interconnects is 3D Printed Freeform Optics
A key technical challenge for photonic integration and packaging of hybrid multi-chip modules is to realize low-loss, reproducible, and reliable optical connections with fast production cycles. Addressing these integration and packaging challenges is crucial for industrial mass production of hybrid multi-chip modules. Vanguard Automation’s additive 3D nano-printing solution utilizes a unique IP portfolio of photonic wire bonds and facet-attached micro-lenses for optical connectivity. The technique relies on highly precise direct-write 3D laser lithography to print freeform optics between optical modules, realizing fully automated mass production without the need for active alignment. Vanguard Automation’s 3D printed freeform structures have shown high reliability and yield for photonic packaging and integration. They are proven to pass strict industry reliability testing and have demonstrated reproducible low-loss coupling while accommodating up to 30µm of alignment offsets.