Project description
Tiny, high-speed modulators for terabit communications
Electro-optical modulators are fundamental components in fibre-optic communications as they convert electrical signals into optical ones. The EU-funded Kolibri project is supporting Switzerland-based company Polariton Technologies in developing plasmonic modulators that are 10 times faster and 100 times smaller than current devices. Furthermore, they are extremely energy-efficient, thereby reducing the carbon footprint for terabit communication technologies. The fundamental concept underlying the novel devices is the coupling of light with electrons at a metal surface, which gives rise to surface plasmon polaritons. Such electromagnetic excitations enable subwavelength optics below the diffraction limit.
Objective
Polariton Technologies Ltd.'s objective is to deliver the world's fastest and smallest modulators, overcoming the current limitations in telecommunications and sensing applications. In particular, we address the transport bottleneck due to faster evolution in electronic signal generation than in fiber optical transport capability. Modulators that are key components in today’s communication infrastructure perform the conversion from an electrical signal to an optical signal. Today’s electro-optic modulators cannot deliver the speed required for future high-speed telecommunications; they are too large in footprint and hence expensive in fabrication, and energy inefficient. All of this is caused by the photonic nature of current electro-optic modulators. Through recent advances in our endeavor, we could demonstrate plasmonic modulators that are 10 times faster and 100 times smaller than current devices. Further, our devices are extremely energy efficient, thus reducing the carbon footprint for future telecommunication systems.
Coming out of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Polariton Technologies Ltd. is a newly incorporated start-up. Our preliminary results and the echo from our partners make us confident that we are on the right way for closing the gaps with respect to our objectives. We are currently on the way to prepare the first pilots. In order to produce the first devices we still need to invest in R&D in different sectors to achieve the stability and the ideal packaging for the different applications.
The expected outcome of this feasibility study is to have reached TRL6 with demonstrations of the technology in relevant environment. The EU funding will accelerate market entry by supporting to solve the remaining technical and business related challenges that are relevant to the industry.
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 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications
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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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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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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) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
8134 Adliswil
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.