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Femtosecond laser-based integrated frequency comb and photonic microwave oscillator

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In femto-iCOMB, we develop the first integrated femtosecond laser-based frequency comb that can serve as the basis for a wide variety of optical and Radio-Frequency (RF) technologies ranging from high resolution environmental and health sensing to LIDAR and RADAR.

Your advantages

The femto-iCOMB based PMOs generate ultra-low noise microwave and optical signals, unachievable with conventional electronics at much reduced size, weight, cost and power, which opens up entirely new applications. Like PMO in autonomous driving, providing low noise microwaves from a very small form factor device with simultaneous optical output that can be used to distribute the microwave signal on an optical carrier in the car enabling large area radar for a high resolution radar sensor enabling level 4 and 5 autonomous driving.


Clearly, the possible markets for  femto-iCOMB technology are enormous, beyond what we can demonstrate in this proposal, ranging from advanced ADCs for next generation communication systems, to point of care sensor technology, to LIDAR for autonomous driving. All these application areas are large global markets and it is important that Europe is in a leading position in these new markets by strengthening its photonics and semiconductor industry, which creates high paying jobs. A cost-effective sensor technology based on femto-iCOMBs can also be a major component in environmental monitoring systems like LIDAR.


Since the femto-iCOMB platform opens a completely new area within size, weight, cost, power and performance of incredibly miniaturized optical and microwave sources, this will surely pave the way to new applications we cannot foresee up to now! What can be done with the femto-iCOMB platform in terms of signalling, signal processing and sensing within a smartphone?

Motivation & Goals

In femto-iCOMB, we develop the first integrated femtosecond (fs) laser-based frequency comb that can serve as the basis for a wide variety of optical and RF-technologies ranging from high resolution environmental and health sensing to LIDAR and RADAR. Femto-iCOMB is based on the successful EIC-pathfinder project FEMTOCHIP, where we demonstrate an integrated high power fs-laser enabling extremely low jitter on chip scale. Here, we tame the free running comb from the integrated fs-laser with on-chip continuum generation, carrier-envelope and repetition rate locking to an optical reference to become a fully stabilized fs-laser frequency comb (FSLFC) with extremely high frequency stability. We use the femto-iCOMB to pursue photonic microwave oscillators for a variety of applications ranging from autonomous driving to ultra-low phase noise oscillators for advanced signal generators and RF-test and measurement equipment, and demonstrate these devices in relevant industrial environments.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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Our partners

These partners are already benefiting from the collaboration:

Partner of femto-ICOMB
Partner of femto-ICOMB
Partner of femto-ICOMB
Partner of femto-ICOMB
Partner of femto-ICOMB

Public Relations Manager

Dr. Thomas Schwarzbäck

answers your questions:

+49 7961 92 56 251

EurA AG

Project Manager femto-iCOMB

Contact

Are you interested in the femto-iCOMB project and would like to learn more about it? Then we look forward to your message by e-mail, via the form on this page or your call.

Choose your status:
Research institute
SME
Large company

Project Manager

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz X. Kärtner

answers your questions:

+49 40 8998 6350

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

Project Manager femto-iCOMB
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