Welcome to the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ)

October, 2018: Scientists of IPQ and IMT have demonstrated ultra-fast silicon-plasmonic devices for generation and detection of terahertz signals. The devices can be integrated on the silicon photonic platform, bringing together photonics, electronics and terahertz technologies on a common substrate. The concept offers promising perspectives for a wide variety of applications, including high-speed communications, life sciences and industrial metrology. The publication appeared in the October issue of Nature Photonics.

Media response: Nature Photonics
Original publication:  Nature Photonics

June 2018: Scientists of IPQ, IMT and University of Washington have demonstrated the highest in-device electro-optic (EO) activity in a high-speed EO modulator so far. This was achieved by using the organic EO material JRD1, which is the result of theory-guided optimization of its molecular design. In the so-called silicon-organic hybrid integration concept, this material was combined with standard silicon-photonic waveguides, forming hybrid modulators. The devices operate very efficiently, enabling high-quality optical data transmission at 40 Gbit/s with ultra-low drive voltages as low as 140 mVpp. Thus, based on these devices, highly energy-efficient communication networks could be realized in the near future and the devices could be of prime importance for low-power information processing in tomorrow’s data centers.

Original publication: Optica

KIT Press release: German

July 2018: The IPQ/IMT project team "DELPHI - 3D Laser Lithography for Photonic Integration" will receive the Second Prize of the renowned Berthold-Leibinger Innovation Prize. The DELPHI project group, headed by Christian Koos, was dedicated to industrial adoption of femtosecond laser lithography as a tool for 3D additive nanofabrication in integrated photonics and has led to foundation of the start-up company Vanguard Photonics GmbH. The project builds upon multi-photon lithography for fabrication of single-mode photonic waveguides and free-form micro-optical elements for efficient coupling of optical microchips. The award ceremony will take place on September 21, 2018 in Ditzingen, Germany.