Background

Innovative ground-breaking technologies such as nano-satellite-based space navigation and autonomous navigation are currently hindered by the lack of compact, efficient sensing devices.

The adoption of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for these applications has been restrained by the difficulty of integrating complete photonic sensors without optical interface within the same chip.

The context of the INPHOMIR proposal is the drive to develop complex photonic integrated control-units and devices enabling innovative EU technologies in the domains of inertial navigation and mid-infrared remote sensing.

Project & Objectives

The aim of INPHOMIR project is to provide a competitive and independent European supply chain of monolithic photonic integrated circuits (PIC) building-blocks, operating at near and mid-infrared wavelengths, by proposing the Indium Phosphide platform as a valid solution for a technological scale-up.

The scientific activities will involve the validation of photonic integrated circuits with new ultralow loss waveguides and new mid-infrared active devices; and the first demonstration of advanced building blocks such as: extremely-high quality factor resonators at telecom (exploring optical loss compensation and slow light effect in photonic crystals), Hertz-level narrow-linewidth quantum cascade lasers and ultra-low-power sensitive heterodyne detectors at mid-infrared wavelengths. These advanced components will be employed to realise for the first time an integrated optical gyroscope and a dual-band mid-infrared frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar.

These two novel sensors will be put together onto a multi-chip module board to validate a novel multi-sensorial unit with unique ranging and inertial sensing capabilities, to be exploited for aerospace missions of low-earth-orbit nano-satellites and self-driving drones.

Development

The realization of advanced monolithic photonic integrated circuits functionalities based on innovative concepts like on-chip optical compensation, slow-light-induced extremely-high quality-factor, Hertz-level laser stabilization and ultralow- power dual-band coherent detection. This novel generation of photonic integrated circuits will promote a completely European InP-based process design kit and supply chain, validating wafer-scale processes and promoting EU independence in photonic technologies;

Validation

Experimental implementations of complex modular photonic integrated circuits at near and mid-infrared wavelengths to validate a photonic-enable multi-sensor module for autonomous and space navigation, enabling a sensor-fusion-technology to be employed in high-tech for small and medium-sized enterprises and industrial R&D departments.

Impacts

INPHOMIR develops advanced photonic integrated circuits to implement near and mid-infrared technologies.

The main beneficiaries have been classified in the following specific target groups:

  • Microelectronics and photonics companies/research communities;

  • Space-navigation;

  • Automotive and robotics (e.g. drones for surveillance, submarine diving exploration, agricultural monitoring);

  • Quantum computing companies;

  • Service logistics providers, global retailers.

The INPHOMIR project thus addresses the specifics impacts:

The INPHOMIR project will help merge Artificial Intelligence technology and sensor data fusion. Intelligent data fusion and advanced integrated photonics are brought together for the first time implement an innovative multisensory module.

The methods and the demonstrated results will define a procedure on how to combine a massive flow of data from different sources sensors for improved precision detection and mass deployable.

PIC-based inertial and LIDAR sensors are essential parts robotics, in order to allow autonomous movements such as orientation/vision sensors that, combined with intelligent data processing, can define the robot’s interaction with the scene.

The knowledge produced within INPHOMIR will provide several technologies with a major impact on the digitalisation of european small and medium-sized enterprises companies.

Futhermore, the development of data fusion algorithms and artificial intelligence will inspire the realization of a technology to handle big data.

Industry 4.0 includes various technological applications allowing the implementation of miniaturised devices with great efficiency in order to increase automation production processes, reduce costs and waste.

Within INPHOMIR, we aim to demonstrate compact, low-power-demanding systems and MIR-PIC devices, which can be employed for the interconnection between in-house apparatuses (to collect data regarding products lifecycles) or between buildings (to establish free-space network systems).