u²t was founded by Andreas Umbach, Günter Unterbörsch and Dirk Trommer in January 1998 as a spin-off company of Heinrich-Hertz-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik Berlin GmbH (HHI). In the late nineties, the three scientists realised an increasing interest in the components they had developed. They decided to meet this demand and founded u²t Innovative Optoelectronic Components GmbH.
The company started to grow as specialist for 40 Gbit/s receivers and tunable lasers. With the deployment of 40G technology in the field u²t started to heavily grow its business and capacity. Ever since 2004 the company experienced continuous revenue growth and meanwhile multiplied it capabilities.
In 2009 u²t further expanded its portfolio with the akquisition of a GaAs based modulator design team and expanded its business with these new products.
u²t Photonics AG is now a highly specialised company with accumulated excellence in the fields of high-speed device and systems design but also high volume experience. In combination with a long-term R&D partnership with HHI, this expertise ensures continuous innovation for the applications of the high-speed future.
Major Milestones of u²t Photonics AG
2011
Enterprise
- Continuous growth with 20% year to year revenue increase
Products
- Telcordia qualification and market introduction of 2nd generation 40/100 Gbit/s coherent receiver
- Introduction of GaAs based Mach-Zehnder-Modulator
2010
Enterprise
- Annual sales increases by 50%
Products
- launch of new version MSA based VSR Receiver
- launch of 40/100G DP QPSK Coherent Receiver
2009
Enterprise
- Acquisition of u²t UK modulator business
Products
- launch of Integrated DPSK Receiver
- sampling of Coherent 100G DP QPSK receiver
2008
Enterprise
Products
- launch of MSA based VSR receiver
- demo of Integrated DPSK Receiver
2007
Enterprise
- ISO 9001:2000 certification with A-grades by DQS and no nonconformities
Products
- prototypes of 100 GHz photodetectors XPDV4120R
2006
Enterprise
- Telcordia Qualification of main product lines completed
Products
- product launch 70 GHz photodetectors XPDV3120R
2005
Enterprise
- joint development programme for 43 Gbit/s balanced receiver components with Lucent Technologies
Products
- product launch of high-performance 43 Gbit/s DPSK balanced photoreceiver
2004
Enterprise
- concentration on expansion and improvement of operations
- participation in European technology project
Products
- several design wins with global transponder and linecard vendors for 40 Gbit/s systems
- product launch of 1300 nm mode-locked laser
2003
Enterprise
- continuous strengthening of our management team
- expanding worldwide sales partnerships
Products
- major design wins from various Tier I customers of the test and measurement industry
- launch of highly integrated 43 Gbit/s receivers
2002
Enterprise
- additional space allocated for future InP wafer production
- fully integrated IT solution
Products
- participation in the German MultiTeraNet research programme
- extension of product spectrum to comprise mode-locked laser sources
2001
Enterprise
- new office space in the vicinity of HHI
- new facilities for warehouse production and product characterisation
- strategic customer relationships
- acquisition of LKF Advanced Optics GmbH and the formation of Photonics AG
Products
- further extension of production capacity
- project for quality assurance certification started
- prototypes of 40 Gbit/s photoreceivers tested and delivered
2000
Enterprise
- establishment of customer relations
- first round of financing raised from private investor (Dr T. Fischer)
Products
- consolidation of photodetector manufacturing process
- launch of development programmes for 40 Gbit/s photoreceivers and electro-optic modulators
1999
Enterprise
- office and lab space on the premises of Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI)
Products
- development of integrated spot size converter to improve responsivity and fibre alignment
1998
Enterprise
- foundation of Innovative Optoelectronic Components GmbH
- first contact with customers at OFC and ECOC
Products
- market-oriented development of ultra-fast optoelectronic components
- first sales of prototypes of ultra-fast photodetectors
