The invention of the Erbium doped fiber amplifier is arguably one of the most important inventions that has shaped our information society and laid the foundation for optical communications. Rare earth ions provide an ideal gain medium: limiting crosstalk and allowing simultaneous amplification of multiple information carrying channels, while allowing amplification of signals close to the quantum limit. Despite the many advantages of rare-earth ions, their adoption in integrated photonics has been a long-standing challenge. While major effort has been carried out in the 90 Erbium Waveguide Amplifiers (EDWA), e.g. at Bell Laboratories, these were ultimately abandoned due to the high background loss, large device footprints, and lack of photonic integration manufacturing techniques. Recent advances have heralded the first EDWA based on ion implanted silicon nitride ultra low loss waveguides (Science, 2022). These devices provide performance already on par with commercial EDFA, with a vastly reduced footprint, wafer-scale manufacturing and ability to create multichannel amplifiers on chip. Such multi-channel EDWA have applications ranging from data-centers to deep sea fiber amplifiers and general-purpose test and measurement. Within this transition call, we will move the technology from the laboratory level to TRL6, and commercialize it with partners via a dedicated startup. In addition, the SME as part of this proposal we will develop the require ultra-low loss, implantation ready wafers the supply chain - and make the available via foundry service via X-Fab in France. The project therefore addresses technological milestones towards a demonstrator, achieving foundry compatibility, and will engage academic customers for testing in two key areas: optical communications and microwave photonics. By the end of this project EDWA should become a compelling technology proposition of EDWATEC and secure strategic investments to build a sustainable business and high tech company.

In femto-iCOMB, we develop the first integrated femtosecond laser-based frequency comb that can serve as the basis for a wide variety of optical and Radio-Frequency (RF) technologies ranging from high resolution environmental and health sensing to LIDAR and RADAR. Femto-iCOMB is based on the successful EIC-pathfinder project FEMTOCHIP, where we demonstrate an integrated high power femtosecond laser enabling extremely low jitter on chip scale. Here, we tam the free running comb from the integrated femtosecond laser with on-chip continuum generation, carrier-envelope and repetition rate locking to an optical reference to become a fully stabilized femtosecond laser frequency comb (FSLFC) with extremely high frequency stability. We use the femto-iCOMB to pursue photonic microwave oscillators for a variety of applications ranging from autonomous driving to ultra-low phase noise oscillators for advanced signal generators and RF-test and measurement equipment and demonstrate these devices in relevant industrial environments for each application. These prototype field tests will validate the TRL levels achieved for each application and together with surveys of potential customers will inform the business case to be made for each potential product line.

The goal of this project is to create a universal QPIC platform at 1550nm by integrating InP, Quantum Dots and InGaAs detectors on SiN PICs together for the first time. This new platform has the potential to revolutionise quantum photonics by enabling the creation of on-demand single photons and entangled photon pairs, with efficient single photon detection. Critical to this platform is its compatibility with existing optical fibre networks which makes this a cost-effective solution for quantum communication, computing, and quantum metrology applications. We demonstrate the flexibility of our QPIC platform in three different use cases: Quantum Key Distribution, Remote Quantum Computing and Quantum Clock Synchronisation experiments

photonixFAB brings together key European photonics and semiconductor players, to establish a strong and sovereign European supply chain for silicon photonics. The consortium leverages the volume capacity of X-FAB, the European More-than-Moore foundry, and addresses the work program with six key objectives: (1) Transferring IMEC's world-renowned silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform to X-FAB, to achieve industrial manufacturing capacity. The SOI platform addresses a variety of high-speed and sensing applications. (2) Extending the industrial manufacturing capability of LIGENTEC's silicon nitride (SiN) technology at X-FAB, to become the industry standard for SiN photonics. The low-loss, and broad transparency of SiN are perfect for sensing, quantum computing, amongst others. (3) Increasing maturity of heterogeneous integration with SMART Photonics' Indium Phosphide (InP) active components such as lasers, modulators and detectors. These components are integrated on top of the SOI and SiN platforms by transfer-printing. This is an X-FAB associated technology, forming a key innovation differentiator for photonixFAB. The leading European RTOs, IMEC and CEA, are supporting photonixFAB with various technologies, developed in Horizon Europe activities, such as prototype transfer-printing, LiNbO3 modulators and Ge detectors on SiN. (4) Strengthening the European ecosystem with design automation (Luceda), innovative packaging solutions (PHIX), and increased testing capabilities. (5) Demonstrating the viability of the new supply chain and technologies through six application-oriented demonstrators in a wide array of markets. (6) Setting up pilot line and multi-project wafer access to serve innovation by start-ups, SMEs and large entities, and opening photonixFAB for direct feedback on competitiveness and capabilities. Thereby the relationships between the supply chain partners and prospective end-users, as well as between the photonics and the ECS worlds will be strengthened.

Photonics is a key enabling technology in the realization of modern medical devices with applications ranging from diagnostics to personalised monitoring and therapeutics. Characteristic nature of both photonics and medical applications is high diversity. Therefore, the more widespread use of photonics technologies in scattered ecosystems presents major challenges for the technological values chains comprising end-user companies and manufacturers. In conjunction with highly regulated validation and production processes, the timespan from the proof-of-concept to product launch takes years causing high costs. Relying on existing pilot line concept, PhotonMed aims at accelerated uptake of the latest photonics technologies in medical device applications. PhotonMed project is applied to continuously renew the technology offering of photonics pilot line and to invite new members and countries to join the ecosystem. Within research-oriented PhotonMed project RTOs and industrial parties can develop their technology offering while the end-user companies get matured demonstrators based on the latest research results.