December 7, 2021
The integrated optical modules for quantum communication developed by Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) have been selected as one of the “Top 20 photonics technology picks for 2021” by the renowned journal Laser Focus World. Laser Focus World is one of the leading international magazines in the field of lasers and photonics.
The core of the award-winning integration technology is the so-called “micro-optical bench”. It was developed at Fraunhofer HHI by Hauke Conradi within the scope of his dissertation entitled “Nonreciprocity and Nonlinearity in Polymer Photonic Integrated Circuits”, which he will defend in early 2022.
This technology allows researchers to combine known material systems for quantum technology directly with photonic integrated circuits, while maintaining the performance of the micro-optical components. This method is essential to bring quantum communication into application. In addition, the scientists have used the micro-optical bench to produce and publish the world's best integrated optical isolator to date. The Fraunhofer HHI technology is already being used in the QuNET initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and in the EU projects UNIQORN , 3PEAT , POETICS and TERAWAY .