About the Company
Rashmirathi Photonics is a design consultancy for the development of active integrated photonics components. We develop laser diodes, optical amplifiers, and other active components across multiple semiconductor platforms, such as silicon photonics, silicon nitride, III-V semiconductors, etc.
We can be involved throughout the design process from the conception of the device design to the tape-out of the masks. We also offer post-fabrication services such as test development and data analysis.
We would love to assist clients with pathfinding work in the field of semiconductor photonics by either being embedded into the customer’s R&D team for the duration of the project or working independently with weekly updates for the client.
Rashmirathi Photonics is a research-oriented consultancy service that focuses on problems at the intersection of physics and engineering. Poor device performance is often caused by an incomplete understanding of the relevant physics. That’s where we can help.
About the Principal Investigator
Dr. Karan Mehta got his PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA in 2019, where his research centered around designing ultraviolet semiconductor lasers for use in advanced atomic clocks. He was the lead laser designer, and this project involved close collaboration with MOCVD crystal growers and fabrication engineers.
From 2018-2025, he worked in the silicon photonics division at Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, USA as a Laser R&D Engineer.
More about Karan
R&D Accomplishments
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Co-authored a paper on the first ever demonstration of quantum dot lasers integrated with silicon, which is highly impactful because it mitigates the need for on-chip isolators in PICs with integrated lasers.
Published in Journal of Lightwave Technology in 2025 -
Obtained a patent for a novel integrated multi-wavelength laser design.
The patent was filed in 2020 and granted in 2024. -
Developed new test and data analysis methodologies for characterizing integrated photonics components. For example, he led the effort to develop a continuous-wave technique to measure the nonlinear loss in ring resonators.
Published in Journal of Lightwave Technology in 2024 - Helped developed Intel’s photonics PDK for lasers and the associated test structures to characterize lasers.
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Was the lead designer for record-performance integrated superluminescent diodes (broadband light source) for silicon photonics-based fiber optic gyroscopes for use in drone navigation.
Published in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters in 2023. -
Designed UV-VCSELs and discussed the principles of semiconductor laser design in detail.
Published in physica status solidi (a) in 2020.
About the Name
Rashmirathi means "Rider of the chariot of light.” The root words “Rashmi” means “ray of light,” and “Rathi” means “one who rides a chariot.”
This name originates from a Hindi epic poem written in 1952 which is about the story of Karna (from the Mahabharata), who is my namesake.
Understanding the behavior of light to manipulate it for specific purposes—the basis of photonics engineering—is akin to riding a chariot on a ray of light.
Furthermore, as a company based in India and founded by an Indian, it is fitting to have an Indian name.
