PERSEPHONE laid the groundwork for perovskite-based photonic technologies through three main pillars: material development, device fabrication, and system integration. Passivation and synthetic strategies were developed to stabilize lead and tin-based 2D and 3D perovskites, as well as lead-free semiconductors. Their optoelectronic mechanisms were investigated to guide material design and enhance stability. Various processing methods were validated, and the resulting materials were implemented in advanced photonic devices optimized for performance, stability, and integration. These devices were further combined into complex photonic structures, demonstrating the strong potential of metal halide semiconductors to surpass existing photonic technologies.
PERSEPHONE's achievement lies in the ability of early-stage researchers and their teams to merge expertise from different scientific domains. Among the key scientific outcomes, the project has shown that substituting lead with tin enables perovskites to effectively cover the near-infrared spectrum and that perovskite processing can be integrated with established SiN photonics. This breakthrough paves the way for NIR active photonic devices in integrated circuits, addressing a major technological gap. These promising results are being leveraged in proposals for the Pathfinder Open Call (Near Infrared Integrated and Customized Light Sources) and a Marie Curie Doctoral Network on tailored perovskite emitters for integrated photonics.
Beyond scientific results, PERSEPHONe has had a profound training impact. The ESRs developed a strong set of technical, analytical, and transferable skills, positioning them as qualified scientists within the European semiconductor and photonics sectors. The network’s collaborative structure maximized access to shared resources and fostered extensive interactions. Through targeted training, secondments, and interdisciplinary exposure, ESRs have gained both scientific depth and professional maturity, aligning with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers. Overall, PERSEPHONe made a lasting contribution to advancing research and talent development in photonics and semiconductor science. Overall, to quantify such impact we can mention that all ESR got or are planning (in case of late hiring or 4-years program) to discuss their PhD, and most of them have already moved on successfully in their new careers step both in academia and high-tech industry.
In addition, the ESRs actively disseminated the results of PERSEPHONe to both the scientific community and the public. Collectively, they presented their work at 23 international conferences and 7 specialized workshops, and published 26 peer-reviewed journal articles, highlighting the strong scientific productivity and visibility of the network. ESRs also engaged in outreach activities aimed at the wider public, including hands-on activities with primary and high school students, raising awareness and interest in photonics and materials science. These activities reflect the project’s commitment to open science, knowledge transfer, and societal engagement alongside its research and training objectives.
