Project description
Turning sunlight into laser light
Most lasers rely on electricity for pumping, limiting their efficiency and autonomy in remote or energy-constrained environments. Sunlight, an abundant and clean energy source, offers a compelling alternative. The EIC-funded PHOTONIX project is developing a new class of solar-powered thulium-doped fibre lasers capable of converting sunlight directly into coherent mid-infrared radiation at around 2 µm. To achieve this, the project is designing a sun-tracking optical system that efficiently couples sunlight into specially engineered optical fibres optimised for thermal management and high performance. The goal is to demonstrate a continuous, energy-autonomous laser source. In the future, such systems could support applications ranging from advanced manufacturing and medical technologies to energy-independent photonic systems for remote environments and deep-space exploration.
Objective
PhotoniX aims to revolutionize laser technology by introducing a radically new class of solar-powered, Thulium-doped fiber lasers (TDFLs) that directly convert sunlight into coherent mid-infrared (midIR) laser radiation at 2 µm. This groundbreaking approach bypasses traditional electricity-dependent laser pumping, enabling energy-autonomous photonic systems critical for terrestrial and space applications. The project addresses major barriers limiting current solar-pumped fiber lasers (SPFLs), such as inefficient solar coupling, suboptimal excitation dynamics, thermal instability, and fundamental étendue constraints inherent in incoherent solar radiation.
PhotoniX targets three transformative breakthroughs: a novel sun-tracking adaptive optical system optimized for efficient side-coupling of spatially incoherent sunlight into multi-mode fibers; advanced double- and triple-clad multi-mode optical fibers engineered for solar pumping with robust thermal management; and the first demonstration of a continuous-wave SPFL emitting at practical power levels in the mid-IR regime. By leveraging interdisciplinary expertise, the consortium will validate a compact, high-performance laser prototype at TRL 4, achieving quantum efficiencies over 30%, an order-of-magnitude improvement compared to current SPFL technologies.
The project's integrated approach combines innovative solar optics, tailored optical fibers, and novel laser cavity designs, overcoming longstanding scientific and technological hurdles. This will open unprecedented opportunities across advanced manufacturing, biomedicine, quantum photonics, and particularly in energy-autonomous photonic systems crucial for deep-space exploration, resilient healthcare, and sustainable industrial applications. Fully aligned with the EIC’s vision, PhotoniX offers transformative societal and economic impacts by enabling clean, deployable, electricity-independent photonic solutions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering fibers
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences meteorology solar radiation
- natural sciences physical sciences optics fibre optics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2025-PATHFINDEROPEN
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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.
2121 Nicosia
Cyprus
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.