Photonics West 2025

The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) is a world leader in the development for mobile and optical communication networks and systems as well as processing and coding of video signals. Together with international partners from research and industry, we work in the whole spectrum of digital infrastructure – from fundamental research to the development of prototypes and solutions.

At Photonics West 2025, Fraunhofer HHI presents the latest developments in photonic components, networks and systems at the German Pavilion booth 4205-32.

PICs for Quantum Technologies

Hybrid integration and micro-optical bench

The PolyBoard wafer technology with its active/passive hybrid integration and micro-optical bench enables the implementation of photonic integrated circuits for quantum technologies, e.g. QKDs transmitters for polarization encoding and photon pair sources featuring on-PIC nonlinear crystals.

Single Photon Avalanche Photodiode Module

Single Photon Detection for Quantum Communication and Sensing

Fraunhofer HHI provides photodetector modules for single photon detection operating from the O- to the L-band. The SPAD chips inside the modules are based on mature InP technology and are fabricated in the wafer process line of Fraunhofer HHI, with Telcordia and space-qualified processes. The SPAD supply chain is completely within EU, including packaging at the Fraunhofer HHI facility.

SiN Wafer Line

Application-specific PICs from NIR down to VIS

Fraunhofer HHI offers SiN PICs that can be customized for different applications and wavelength ranges. Photonic building blocks including ring resonators, MMIs, tunable gratings and phase shifters are available. Optimized interfaces allow for the hybrid integration of lasers, gain chips and detectors. Furthermore, surface functionalization together with wafer-level micro-fluidics enables the use of the SiN wafer technology in life sciences, analytics and sensing.

SiN-InP Laser Modules

Mode-Locked and External-Cavity Lasers

Fraunhofer HHI’s SiN wafer line enables for the hybrid integration of SiN PICs with active InP components for mode-locked lasers with a tailored repetition rate and external cavity tunable lasers operating at NIR wavelengths.

High-Power Laser

High power laser diodes with 4.9 W CW-output power @ 1550 nm

Fraunhofer HHI offers high-power laser with an optical CW-output power of up to 4.9 W for use in the C-band wavelength range. The application areas of the laser range from medical technology and pump sources for solid-state lasers to range finding, LiDAR and material processing.

Coherent Receiver Module

High sensitivity coherent receiver module for 1550 nm

Fraunhofer HHI offers a coherent receiver module for detecting optical signals down to 1 nW in the C-band wavelength range. The application areas of the module range from LiDAR to sensing and quantum applications.

High Power Pulsed THz Emitters

THz time-domain spectroscopy with mW-level THz power

The latest generation of pulsed terahertz (THz) emitters from Fraunhofer HHI enables fully fiber-coupled THz time-domain spectrometers with up to 1 mW THz power. These advances are the result of the optimization of an ultrafast photoconductor material based on iron-doped InGaAs developed at Fraunhofer HHI.

Photonic Continuous Wave Terahertz Antennas

Ultra-wideband spectral coverage from 100 GHz to 5.5 THz

The photonic terahertz (THz) components and systems developed by Fraunhofer HHI define the state-of-the-art for THz frequency-domain spectroscopy. The latest generation of ultra-wideband photodiodes and ultra-fast photoconductive THz antennas enables record bandwidths of up to 5.5 THz and a 20 dB improvement in dynamic range.

High-Sensitivity Coherent LiDAR

We are excited to debut our new 2D LiDAR prototype, developed for robotics and automation applications in Industry 4.0. Through interactive live demonstrations and visual displays, we invite attendees to explore our latest advancements in high-sensitivity coherent detection and signal processing technology.

Conference presentations with participation of Fraunhofer HHI

Photonics based RF comb generation up to 325 GHz
Jonas Gläsel, Hendrik Boerma, Trung Thanh Tran, Felix Ganzer, Edgar Fernandes, Benjamin Rudin, Florian Emaury, Patrick Runge, Martin Schell
January 27, 2025 • 4:25 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. (PST) | Moscone Center, Room 2024 (Level 2 West)

Dual-polarization FMCW LiDAR with high-quantum-efficiency coherent receiver and real-time point-cloud generation
Sarah Cwalina, Christoph Kottke, Felix Ganzer, Trung Thanh Tran, Patrick Runge, Volker Jungnickel, Ronald Freund
January 29, 2025 • 2:25 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. (PST) | Moscone Center, Room 54 (South Lower Mezz)

3D photonic integrated interposer enabling connectivity between multi-core fibers and photonic integrated circuits
Madeleine Weigel, Martin Kresse, Crispin Zawadzki, Philipp Winklhofer, Lea Flach, Klara Mihov, Jakob Reck, David de Felipe, Tianwen Qian, Moritz Kleinert, Norbert Keil, Martin Schell
January 29, 2025 • 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (PST) | Moscone Center, Room 2003 (Level 2 West)

InP-based photodetector technologies for datacom applications (Invited Paper)
Patrick Runge
January 30, 2025 • 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. (PST) | Moscone Center, Room 204 (Level 2 South)