Start of project

1st May 2024 — We are excited to announce the launch of the femto-iCOMB project, a pioneering initiative set to transform the landscape of optical and Radio-Frequency (RF) technologies. Building on the success of the EIC-pathfinder project FEMTOCHIP, femto-iCOMB is poised to develop the first integrated femtosecond laser-based frequency comb, offering unprecedented advancements in a wide array of applications.

Innovative Technology: At the heart of the femto-iCOMB project is the development of an integrated high-power femtosecond laser, designed to operate with extremely low jitter on a chip scale. This technology promises to deliver a fully stabilized femtosecond laser frequency comb (FSLFC) with remarkably high frequency stability, achieved through on-chip mode-locked laser with precise carrier-envelope and repetition rate locking to an optical reference.

Wide-Ranging Applications: femto-iCOMB aims to harness this cutting-edge technology to create photonic microwave oscillators for various groundbreaking applications, including:

• High-Resolution Environmental and Health Sensing
• LIDAR and RADAR Systems
• Autonomous Driving
• Ultra-Low Phase Noise Oscillators for Advanced Signal Generators
• RF Test and Measurement Equipment

Project Vision: femto-iCOMB represents a significant leap forward in the integration of femtosecond laser technology, promising to unlock new potentials in both optical and RF domains. By delivering superior performance and versatility, this project is set to redefine industry standards and open new avenues for innovation.

We are thrilled to embark on this journey and look forward to the groundbreaking advancements femto-iCOMB will bring to the world of technology.

Project Partners:

Within femto-iCOMB, 5 excellent SMEs around DESY, the coordinator of the FEMTOCHIP project, were gathered. These companies already were key partners in the previous project FEMTOCHIP.

CYCLE GmbH (Germany) is a spin-off company from the "Ultrafast Optics and X-rays" group headed by Prof. Franz X. Kärtner at the Centre for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) at DESY. It was founded in February 2015 by Dr. Damian Barre and Prof. Franz X. Kärtner and is world leading in femtosecond laser-based timing and frequency distribution for large-scale research and radar facilities.

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) (Germany) is one of the world's leading centres in accelerator and photon science. About 2,700 employees work at DESY, incl. more than 1,100 scientists and about 500 young scientists. The Ultrafast Microphotonics Group (UMP) lead by Prof. Dr. Tobias Herr is a pioneer in advanced resonator designs for self-injection locked lasers, which will be used for the reference laser in this project.

LIGENTEC (Switzerland and France) is an expert in offering silicon nitride technologies with very low waveguide propagation loss: with its all-nitride-core (AN) technology it enables customers to develop their products in lots of modern high-tech areas. LIGENTEC empowers customers to develop their products in the era of industrial revolution 4.0 by offering low-loss PICs with active components. Strategically headquartered in close proximity to the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, LIGENTEC is a European company with offices near X-Fab in Corbeil-Essonnes, France. Through collaboration with a major European volume partner, LIGENTEC is well-prepared to supply large-scale markets while ensuring efficient and effective delivery of our innovative solutions.

ALUVIA Photonics (Netherlands) is a spin-off company from the University of Twente. It was founded in 2022 by co-founders Prof. Dr. Sonia M. Garcia-Blanco and Ward Hendriks. ALUVIA photonics offers foundry services of photonic integrated circuits in the Al2O3 platform. This platform has unique advantages such as a very broad operation wavelength range from the UV to mid-IR with ultra-low losses. ALUVIA offers PICs in the Al2O3 platform both via multi-project wafer (MPW) runs and/or dedicated runs for its customers.

EURA AG (Germany) is an experienced innovation consulting company in the field of multidisciplinary and highly innovative/high risk projects. Dr. Thomas Schwarzbäck has 15 years of experience in project management of technological and scientific projects and presenting the results to a broad audience. With the strong network and expertise, EurA is supporting business innovation action. EURA will support Com&Dis activities and Tech-to-market transition.

For more information about the femto-iCOMB project and its developments, please contact:

Prof. Dr. Franz X. Kaertner Coordinator +49 40 8998 6350

franz.kaertner@desy.de

About femto-iCOMB: femto-iCOMB is an innovative project focused on developing the first integrated femtosecond laser-based frequency comb. Building on the EIC-pathfinder project FEMTOCHIP, femto-iCOMB aims to revolutionize a wide variety of optical and RF technologies. The project is funded by the European Union within the European Innovation Council Transition program.

Press Contact: 

Dr. Thomas Schwarzbaeck EurA AG

+49 7961 9256-251

thomas.schwarzbaeck@eura-ag.de

Stay tuned for updates on our exciting journey towards technological excellence!