Imagine a tiny chip that acts like a perfect optical ruler, creating a series of precise light pulses. Instead of using bulky equipment, this technology shrinks those light sources down to a microchip. It allows computers and sensors to process massive amounts of data and measure distances with incredible accuracy.
High-performance Kerr comb generators are not available as commercial products, and there is a lack of signal processing tools to make them usable in real-world applications.
A copper-free silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit and a toolkit of signal processing tools including modulator arrays and synchronization modules.
If you are a network provider dealing with the bandwidth limits of hyperscale optical communications — this project developed chip-scale Kerr comb generators that enable ultra-broadband signal processing. This allows for significantly higher data throughput on a single chip.
If you are a hardware manufacturer dealing with the size and cost of high-resolution distance sensors — this project developed a toolkit for system integration of Kerr combs. This enables the creation of compact, high-performance 3D metrology tools.
If you are an instrument maker dealing with the complexity of light sources for chemical analysis — this project developed copper-free silicon nitride photonic circuits. This provides a low-barrier entry to high-performance comb generators for precise spectroscopy.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not listed, but the project aims to provide 'low-barrier' and 'democratized' access to the technology to encourage commercial adoption.
The project focuses on 'chip-scale' integration using silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits, which are compatible with semiconductor manufacturing processes for scaling.
The technology is based on work from EPFL and has already been licensed to the start-up Deeplight, which operates through Deeplight GmbH.
The project is building a toolkit including comb-line processors, electro-optic modulator arrays, and synchronization control modules to simplify system integration.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2026-12-31, focusing on establishing the technology foundation and demonstrating it in established markets.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring a 40% industry ratio with 2 industrial partners, including a global leader (Nokia) and a specialized start-up (Deeplight). This structure combines academic research from 3 universities with direct paths to market, leveraging existing licenses from EPFL to bridge the gap between lab prototypes and industrial products.
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
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