MOde LOcKing for Advanced Sensing and Imaging)

Project Information

MOLOKAI

Grant agreement ID: 101159440

DOI

10.3030/101159440

EC signature date 19 June 2024

Start date 1 August 2024

End date 31 July 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 2 522 500,00

EU contribution

€ 2 522 500,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MOLOKAI (MOde LOcKing for Advanced Sensing and Imaging))

Reporting period: 2024-08-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Integrated frequency comb sources are a cornerstone technology for generating ultrashort optical pulses with precisely controlled repetition rates. Their miniaturization into chip-scale platforms offers a scalable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional fiber- and solid-state laser systems. This integration is central to the MOLOKAI project’s mission to develop compact, robust, and versatile photonic systems.
These integrated solutions are particularly relevant for applications in high-speed telecommunications, LiDAR, and precision spectroscopy. By reducing system complexity and enhancing operational stability, they enable the deployment of frequency comb technologies in practical, real-world environments.
Within the scope of MOLOKAI, the project focuses on the development of mode-locked lasers (MLLs) that incorporate low-repetition-rate frequency combs directly on-chip. This approach is designed to deliver high-performance integrated light sources tailored for dual-comb spectroscopy and other advanced sensing applications.
The progress achieved during the first year of the project highlights key technological developments that contribute directly to the overarching objectives. The activities described represent foundational steps toward the realization of advanced integrated photonic systems, with a particular emphasis on performance optimization and validation. Each task has been strategically designed to support the final goals of the project, and the results obtained thus far demonstrate meaningful advancements in both hardware integration and software functionality.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The activities carried out across relevant work packages reflect a strategic and coordinated effort to mature MOLOKAI’s integrated photonic source technology toward market readiness. The focus has been on optimizing the fabrication process for InP-on-SiN integration, a critical step in ensuring scalability, reproducibility, and performance consistency.
The initial prototypes, fabricated on imec’s passive SiN platform, demonstrated promising results, 3 GHz mode-locked operation, multi-milliwatt output power, and broad optical bandwidth. These results validated the feasibility of the approach and established a solid foundation for further development.
To support wafer-scale scalability, the project transitioned to the Ligentec platform, which offers multiple SiN layers and standardized processing. This move is expected to improve coupling efficiency, reduce propagation losses, and enable higher reproducibility, all of which are essential for commercial viability.
Characterization efforts led by UGent have already identified multiple mode-locking regimes and measured key comb parameters. These samples have been transferred to MBI for lifetime and reliability testing, ensuring that the devices meet the durability requirements for real-world deployment.
Overall, these activities are instrumental in advancing the technology from TRL 4 toward higher TR, laying the groundwork for functional demonstrators and future product integration.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During this phase of the MOLOKAI project, substantial progress has been made across several key technological domains, each contributing directly to the overarching objective of developing high-performance, integrated photonic systems. The following summarizes the main achievements and their potential impacts:
1. Co-Integration of Dispersion-Engineered Waveguides and On-Chip Amplifiers
A major milestone was the successful co-integration of mode-locked lasers (MLLs) and supercontinuum (SC) generation spirals—developed by SLP—onto a Ligentec-designed photonic platform. This achievement enhances spectral broadening and energy efficiency within a compact chip-scale system, simplifying the overall architecture and enabling scalable deployment. The integration supports future applications in spectroscopy, sensing, and communications, and lays the groundwork for commercial exploitation.
2. Software Development for Data Acquisition and Spectral Processing
Parallel to hardware development, significant progress was made in software tools for data acquisition and analysis. MBI developed a Python-based program for real-time streaming of interferogram hypercubes and a MATLAB-based pipeline for spectral reconstruction using Fourier transform and holographic techniques. These tools are essential for enabling dual-comb spectroscopy and will be further optimized to improve computational efficiency and accuracy. Their development supports broader adoption by facilitating integration into existing research and industrial workflows.
3. Development of Next-Generation Dual-Comb Devices at 900 nm
Efforts to fabricate GaAs-based amplifiers and demonstrate mode-locked lasers at 900 nm represent a strategic advancement toward near-infrared (NIR) operation. This wavelength range is particularly relevant for biomedical imaging and spectroscopy due to its deeper tissue penetration and reduced scattering. These developments open new application domains and support future internationalization and cross-sectoral uptake.

To ensure the continued success and broader impact of MOLOKAI’s innovations, the following areas have been identified as critical:
-Further Research & Demonstration: Continued optimization of integrated components and validation in real-world scenarios are essential to reach full technology readiness.
-Access to Markets & Finance: Engagement with industrial stakeholders and investors is needed to support commercialization and scale-up.
-IPR Support: Protection of intellectual property through patents and licensing strategies will be crucial for securing competitive advantage.
-Regulatory & Standardisation Frameworks: Alignment with relevant standards and certification processes will facilitate market entry, particularly in regulated sectors such as healthcare and telecommunications.
-Commercialisation Strategy: A short-term transition plan (outlined in Deliverable D6.1) has been developed to guide product development, investment planning, and market validation.
-Target Market Identification: Three high-potential domains have been identified—Optical I/O for AI/ML datacenters, LiDAR for industrial automation, and FBG interrogation for sensing and monitoring—each offering distinct commercial opportunities.