Tobias Kippenberg awarded ERC Synergy Grant
Tobias J. Kippenberg. Credit: EPFL
EPFL's Professor Tobias J. Kippenberg, in collaboration with leading European researchers, has secured a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant to advance the ATHENS project, which aims to revolutionize optical data transmission.
The European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grants are designed to support small groups of exceptional researchers working together to address complex scientific challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration. The grants enable ground-breaking research by combining diverse expertise and resources.
Professor Tobias J. Kippenberg at EPFL has been awarded the ERC Synergy Grant as part of an international team comprising Professor Christian Koos and Professor Stefan Bräse from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and Professor Carsten Ronning from Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
Together, they lead the ATHENS project (Active Hybrid Photoniits for Ultra-Efficient Electro-Optic Conversion and Signal Processing), which focuses on combining photonic integrated circuits with novel modulator technologies and high-power optical on-chip amplification. This requires a series of synchronized breakthroughs ranging from novel functional optical materials and novel integration platforms.
The concepts and technologies established in ATHENS will be demonstrated in selected applications: hyper-scale optical communications, microwave photonics, photonic-electronic analogue-to-digital conversion, cryogenic read-out and quantum transduction.
The innovative approach seeks to overcome current limitations in and quantum technologies and data transmission, addressing the growing demand for energy-efficient and high-performance communication systems driven by advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning,
Professor Kippenberg leads the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements at EPFL. His research focuses on the science and applications of photonic integrated circuits,cavity optomechanics, and superconducting circuit quantum optomechanics.
Kippenberg is one of four EPFL professors to be awarded Synergy Grants this year; the others are John McKinney (School of Life Sciences), Andras Kis and Edoardo Charbon (School of Engineering).