Photonics

Photonics is a key technology of multidisciplinary nature enabling the production of devices and systems of high impact for the society. Main applications are in solar energy conversion, information and telecommunications, biomedicine, environmental and food quality monitoring, security, smart mobility and  domotics, aerospace and cultural heritage.

IMM has a consolidated expertise  in the development of innovative materials, devices and systems for photonics. Main activities are related to the design, fabrication and characterization of:

• new optoelectronic components, also based on quantum and nanotechnologies, to be integrated in the next generation of micro/nanoelectronic circuits for on-chip and intra-chip optical interconnects. The perspective is to overcome the present limits in terms of electrical power dissipation and delay in signal propagation. Such devices and technologies will also find applications in future optical networks capable of secure and ultrafast data transmission.
• advanced photonic systems and devices for sensing, diagnostics and imaging, whose  applications range from  health to cultural heritage, from environmental and food monitoring to precision agriculture, from security to transports.
• innovative devices and technologies for photovoltaics and solar energy conversion.

The Institute research activities in Photonics are grouped in the three main areas of Optoelectronics, Energy conversion devices, and Plasmonics and nanophotonics.

Coordinator: Salvatore Lombardo