Photonic System Engineering with Microcombs (MicrocombSys)

Research Project, 2023 – 2027

Optical frequency combs are fascinating photonic devices for realizing modern applications that rely on precision frequency synthesis and metrology. Today, microcombs offer the prospect of attaining, in a single chip-scale form-factor, an optical frequency comb with outstanding performance in terms of line spacing and bandwidth coverage. With microcombs, some proof of principle, lab-based system-level demonstrations have been realized, but these make use of large bulk components and instrumentation that prevent the large-scale deployment of this technology in mass-market applications. The overall ambition of this doctoral network is to provide the scientific and training necessary to bridge the gap between proof-of-principle applications and deployment of this disruptive technology. The network brings together experts from academia and industrial leaders in microresonator frequency combs, heterogeneous integration, packaging technology, and nonlinear physics, while covering a wealth of emerging applications: from quantum information processing to biophotonics. The collaborative science is embedded in a meaningful, comprehensive and tailored-made training program that covers crucial aspects in diversity, digital science, entrepreneurship and innovation. This network will catalyze the career of 12 doctoral candidates who will pave the way for novel scientific endeavors and deploy this technology in mass-market applications, from datacenter interconnects to lidar in self-driving cars.