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ExpLoring Lithium tantalate on Insulator PhoTonic Integrated Circuits

Project description

A groundbreaking platform for non-linear integrated photonics

Modern technologies like optical communications, quantum devices and signal processing rely on advanced materials for optimised performance. Ferroelectric thin films, especially lithium niobate, have advanced integrated photonics but still face challenges including low power efficiency and slow speeds. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the ELLIPTIC project will synthesise a new material, lithium tantalate on insulator (LTOI), to overcome this technological challenge. LTOI offers high optical damage resistance, reduced photorefractive effects, low signal losses and compatibility with existing microelectronics manufacturing. ELLIPTIC will demonstrate LTOI’s potential in 5G communications, quantum signal transduction and frequency-comb generation. Furthermore, a process design kit will make this technology accessible to researchers and developers.

Objective

Transparent ferroelectric oxide crystal with a strong 2nd-order optical nonlinearity are a paramount building block for electro-optical and nonlinear photonics bridging the electromagnetic spectrum from electrostatics and THz fields to optical frequencies. Currently, smart-cut ferroelectric thin films such are revolutionizing integrated photonics, overcoming the traditional limitations of bulk lithium niobate and silicon-on-insulator photonic integrated circuits such as low power efficiency and speed. Despite more than half a decade of tremendous scientific progress in the field, predominately using lithium niobate thin films, many technological and commercial hurdles have emerged compounding their adoption. The goal of ELLIPTIC is to overcome these limitations and to close the technology gaps that are still inherent to photonic integrated circuits based on ferroelectric thin films. LTOI will open new paradigm for nonlinear integrated photonics, based on its unique properties, such as a high optical damage threshold, reduced photorefractive effect, ultra-low optical and microwave loss and low birefringence. Moreover, LTOI leverages the existing micro-electronic manufacturing infrastructure due to its widespread adoption for 5G cellular signal filters. We will demonstrate the transformative potential of the LTOI platform for applications across various domains including optical and millimeter-wave communications, signal processing, metrology, frequency-comb generation, and quantum technologies, such as the transduction of quantum signals between superconducting microwave devices and optical fibers. The development of an process design kit (PDK) will democratize access to the technology for academia and the R&D communities.

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Topic(s)

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HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-PATHFINDEROPEN-01

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Coordinator

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 966 965,00
Address
HOGSKOLERINGEN 1
7491 TRONDHEIM
Norway

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Region
Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 966 965,00

Participants (3)

Partners (2)

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