Professor Gunther Roelkens is a distinguished academic and pioneering innovator in integrated photonics at Ghent University, where he has established himself as a globally recognized authority in silicon photonics technology. Currently serving as Professor at the Photonics Research Group and Principal Investigator of Micro-transfer printing technology within the imec research group at Ghent University, his academic foundation was built through an electrical engineering degree from Ghent University in 2002 followed by a PhD from the same institution in 2007 at the Department of Information Technology. His formative research experience included a significant appointment as a visiting scientist at IBM TJ Watson Research Center in New York during 2008, which provided valuable industry perspective before his formal academic appointment at Ghent University in 2010 within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. His rapid professional progression to full professor reflects both the significance of his contributions and institutional recognition of his expertise in bridging electronic and photonic technologies.
Professor Roelkens has pioneered groundbreaking approaches to heterogeneous integration, particularly through his development and refinement of micro-transfer printing technology for silicon photonics applications. His research focuses on integrating diverse materials including III-V semiconductors onto silicon waveguide circuits, enabling the creation of advanced photonic integrated circuits that incorporate optical amplifiers, lasers, and efficient electro-optic modulators that cannot be readily realized in standard CMOS environments. This work has established him as a leading figure in next-generation photonic circuit design, with his methodologies addressing critical scalability challenges in the field. His scholarly impact is substantial, with an impressive publication record of 873 works according to Ghent University's research database, and his contributions have been recognized through prestigious funding including an ERC Starting Grant that supported his innovative research trajectory.
Beyond his technical contributions, Professor Roelkens plays a significant leadership role in shaping the global photonics research community, serving on the Steering Committee of the European Conference on Integrated Optics. His work continues to drive the evolution of photonic integrated circuits toward practical, scalable manufacturing processes that promise to revolutionize optical communications and sensing technologies. As Principal Investigator of the Micro-transfer printing technology research line at imec, he directs a vibrant research group focused on overcoming the fundamental materials integration challenges that have historically limited silicon photonics development. His current research agenda emphasizes the co-integration of electronic and photonic components, positioning his laboratory at the forefront of efforts to create next-generation integrated systems that will enable faster, more efficient optical data processing for applications ranging from telecommunications to biomedical sensing.
