In partnership with the SiEPIC and NSERC CREATE NUCLEUS program, along with FABrIC — a project funded by the Government of Canada and managed by CMC Microsystems, CMC is offering this legendary Silicon photonics workshop again at Laval University, Quebec City.
This in-person workshop will teach participants how to design, simulate, fabricate, and test photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The participants’ designs will be fabricated using AMF Si Photonics technology, available through CMC Microsystems.
A NUCLEUS Symposium — Bits, Quanta and Light, will be held on June 1, 2026 colocated with Photonics North 2026
Pre-Requisites
Completion of the CMC Basecamp™: Passive Silicon Photonics Fabrication Workshop 2025, experience with PIC design, or permission from the instructors.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Location |
| May 28 to 31, 2026 | 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ET | Laval University (Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon (VCH), 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Room 3068) |
| June 1, 2026: Symposium | 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ET | Photonics North venue |
Registration Options
Workshop and AMF Fabrication
The registration fee includes:
- Year-long training in active silicon photonics device and circuit design, fabrication, and testing,
- Four-day in-person workshop,
- Three-month license to CAD/simulation tools,
- Chip fabrication areas on the AMF Technology aggregated by CMC
- Year-long access to the SiEPIC learning repository
- CMC engineering support until the tape-out.
- The collocated NUCLEUS symposium – Bridging Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing with Photonics, June 1, 2026.
Students from Canadian Universities can earn credits by registering and completing the graduate courses offered by:
- Laval University GEL 7070 or GEL 7071
- Queen’s University PHYS 982
- UBC ELEC585
Notes:
- The registration fee covers a 3-square-millimeter design area (AMF Technology). Participants can increase the design space, subject to availability, by paying the list price to fabrication. Contact Niharika Kohli for details.
- You will be required to complete two export control questionnaires for chip fabrication. Contact Sarah Neville to get a copy of the questionnaires.
- To obtain access to confidential technology information provided during the course, your organization may be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with CMC Microsystems. Please reach out to our Legal team at legal@cmc.ca to facilitate execution of the NDA before May 1, 2026.
- Workshop participants will have access to other proprietary and confidential information during the course; each participant is required to sign an Access to Intellectual Property & Non-Disclosure Agreement. Participants should submit a signed agreement to Sarah Neville prior to May 14, 2026.
- Students from the universities in Quebec and Ontario can be credited by applying for the graduate exchange program at Laval University (contact Professor Shi) and Queen’s University (contact Professor Shastri), respectively. Students from universities in BC and Alberta can be credited by the Western Deans Agreement.
Workshop Only
The registration fee includes:
- Four-day in-person workshop,
- Three-month license to CAD/simulation tools, and
- The collocated NUCLEUS symposium – Bridging Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing with Photonics, June 1, 2026.
Chip fabrication is not included.
Training Schedule
- Online pre-recorded video lectures, modules, tutorials, and activities (passives, introduction to actives). The material will be available throughout the year. The link to the material will be provided after the registration is confirmed.
- In-person workshop and symposium: May 28 to June 1, 2026
- Design, simulation, and mask layout: June to October 2026
- Access to software tools, tutorials, and online discussion forums
- Design feedback from CMC and instructors
- AMF design proposal deadline: October 5, 2026
- AMF design submission (layout deadline): October 19, 2026
- AMF chip shipment date: May 2027
- Chip testing and model validation: June and July 2027
- Final report: July 2027
In-person Workshop Schedule
To be posted soon.
Access to Tools
- From Ansys Lumerical:
- Lumerical offers workshop attendees in Canada free access to the Lumerical workshop license during the workshop and following the workshop for the purpose of completing their designs.
- Participants who are located outside of Canada may require their own license to the Ansys Lumerical tools.
- From Luceda Photonics:
- Luceda offers workshop attendees free access to the Luceda IPKISS license during the workshop.
Confirmed Speakers
| Name | Affiliation | Webpage |
| Wei Shi | Center for Optics, Photonics and Lasers (COPL), Université Laval | Wei Shi |
| Bhavin Shastri | Queen’s university | Bhavin-J-Shastri |
| Nicolas Jaeger | University of British Columbia | Nicolas-Jaeger |
| Dawson Bonneville | Luceda Photonics | Dawson-Bonneville |
| Joaquin Matres | GDS FACTORY | Joaquin Matres |
| Philippe Jean | SYPHOS | Philippe-Jean |
| Devika Nair | Ansys | Devika-Nair |
| Niharika Kohli | CMC Microsystems | Niharika Kohli |
Travel and Accommodations
- Participants make their arrangements for travel and accommodation.
- A limited number of 2-bed units on campus have been blocked for the workshop located just 15 minutes from downtown Quebec City on the Université Laval campus. Reserve the units before May 14, 2026. These rooms have two single beds and feature all the amenities usually available in hotels: bed linen and towels, shampoo and soap, free wireless internet access and free local calls.
- Standard university room (shared bathroom), single occupancy : $50.75+ taxes / night
- Standard university room (shared bathroom), double occupancy : $68.50 + taxes / night
More details about the accommodation can be found here: https://www.residences.ulaval.ca/en/short-term-accomodations/short-term-accommodations-rooms