Fraunhofer IOF

#Event | Become a partner of the Photonics Day Jena 2026 How do young talents find their way into photonics? Often, it starts with a direct conversation with people who can show what a career in optics can look like in practice. With the Photonics Day Jena 2026, we invite companies in the optics and photonics sector to become part of this exchange. As a partner, you can present your organization at the Career & Industry Brunch on September 15, connect with young photonics enthusiasts and make your role in the photonics ecosystem visible to future specialists. This year we are organizing the event in close collaboration with Phortify. Associated industry partners are also very welcome to become a partner of the #PDJena. Interested? Then feel free to contact us about cooperation opportunities at photonics.days@iof.fraunhofer.de. Our colleague Katja Szafranski will be happy to discuss the possibilities with you. For more information about the event, click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dwv5DWZ Max Planck School of Photonics

#News | Secure communication for Europe is underway with the #TransEuroOGS project, that aims to establish a quantum-secure network of ground-based optical stations for satellite-based communications. Our optical ground station here in Jena is part of this endeavor. We look forward to working together with our European partners on this important project for secure communication networks across the continent! 🌐🛰️ In the words of Dr. Torsten Siebert, who coordinates the project at Fraunhofer IOF: „In our joint work to demonstrate and establish quantum-secure communication across the geography of the continent, the collaborations in TransEuroOGS stand for the potential we have in all of Europe, when we unite our valuable resources in research and industry.“ ✨ Read more about TransEuroOGS here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgMgvYcg #EuroQCI

#RECAP | Guide Star at Fraunhofer IOF, Apr. 28 A truly special sight graced the night sky over Jena last week: From the outdoor grounds of Fraunhofer IOF, a guide-star laser from TOPTICA Projects GmbH projected an artificial guide star into the starry night sky. The demonstration was part of SPACE NIGHT, an event organized by the Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena on April 28. From the university grounds, event participants were able to observe the spectacle through a telescope. 🔭 For night owls on site at the Beutenberg Campus, the laser beam was visible to the bare eye in deep yellow-orange tones. 🌟 A guide star is a laser system in which a bright point—a guide star—is artificially generated by exciting sodium atoms in the upper atmosphere, approximately 90 km above the Earth’s surface. The laser beams are guided through a telescope, in this case one manufactured at Fraunhofer IOF. Many thanks to TOPTICA for this special opportunity! We are happy to let the following snapshots linger a little longer, capturing this extraordinary sight. ✨ 📷 1-3: Matthias Goy, 4: Aoife Brady

#UPCOMING | Photonics Day Jena 2026 on September 15   Mark your calendar for September 15 – Photonics Day Jena presents this year’s motto: “𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗜”.   Students and doctoral candidates are invited to a full day of networking, professional exchange, hands-on approaches and career discovery! Fraunhofer IOF together with Max Planck School of Photonics again organizes the diverse event for young researchers in the field of photonics on September 15!   The program is still under construction, but here are some sneak peeks already:   📝Prepare your questions for the Industry Brunch, where you might meet your future employer. Get direct insights into our research with the lecture “Applications of Gen-AI in quantum photonics, current developments and examples from our laboratories" by MPSP PhD candidate Markus Leipe. 🕵🏽♀️Find out more about "AI as a Scientific Partner in Photonics and Quantum Science" in our workshop held by Dr. Xuemei Gu (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena). ☑️Vote your favourite science presentation in the Idea Pitches of “Cluster of Excellence” or mingle with established researchers, lecturers and Industry executives during the 🗣️Get Together of “Photonics Day Jena” and “Jenaer Optikgespräche” in cooperation with “Phortify”.   Quick Notes: 📆When: September 15 📍Where: Fraunhofer IOF and ACP   𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲.   ➡️Save the date into your calendar: https://lnkd.in/d9UzqABM

#News | The stage is set for innovation At this year’s Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) Pitch on April 20, eleven teams from across Germany presented their forward-looking ideas in the fields of optics and photonics. The six most compelling concepts will now receive targeted research support to transform their approaches into marketable applications. These are the winning teams 🏆 ·      𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗡𝗨𝗠 (𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘁, 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵): Compact photonic displacement sensor for extreme environmental conditions ·      𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀-𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗔𝗜 (𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘇, 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘁): Reference architecture for energy-efficient computing through photonics-assisted AI inference ·      𝗤𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗝𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗹, 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵): Satellite-based system for quantum-secure communication ·      𝗢𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗣𝗜𝗖 (𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗵𝗶 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗶 & 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗮, 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻/𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗮): Photonics-based computing units for AI applications directly in space ·      𝗣𝗼𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗙𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗲): Development of optical filter technologies with a focus on space applications. ·      𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗫𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝗺𝗯𝗛 (𝗝𝗲𝗻𝗮): Development of medical laser systems for urological applications. Congratulations! 👏 They will now receive targeted research support to transform their approaches into marketable applications. A distinguished panel of judges from the business, research, and startup communities selected the winners. 💬 The award was presented by Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Colette Boos-John: “The DIHP impressively demonstrates the innovation potential inherent in the combination of research and entrepreneurial spirit. Especially in key technologies such as photonics, we need bold founders who are willing to break new ground.” More information here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d-mxVuXp The Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) is a joint initiative of leading research institutions in Thuringia, dedicated to accelerating technology transfer in optics and photonics and supporting the next generation of DeepTech start-ups.

#News | Pretty “IOFast” was not only the Fraunhofer IOF winning team that took 11th place in the Jena Team Run last Friday, but also all the other teams from our institute 🏃➡️ A total of 42 runners in 14 teams took to the starting line for Fraunhofer IOF. And they all did it for a good cause: The proceeds from the entry fees for the 19th Jena Team Run will once again go to non-profit organizations in Jena. Congratulations to the “IOFast” team on your placement! And of course, well done to all the other runners – great to see that our team spirit runs just as strong outside the labs and offices. 💪 #JenaerTeamlauf

#Upcoming | Fraunhofer IOF at Quantum Photonics 2026 Quantum Photonics 2026 is just around the corner, and next week Fraunhofer IOF will be heading to Erfurt. At our booth, we will showcase technologies for quantum computing, secure communication networks and advanced photonic applications. Take a look at some of our exhibition highlights below! ⤵️ Our experts will be on site to discuss your questions, project ideas and customized solutions. You can also meet us in the conference program on Wednesday, May 6: ▪️Kick off of the DFG project “3D-NLM” ▪️ “Quantum for Defence and Space” forum: Matthias Goy talks about European Quantum Network of Optical Ground Stations ▪️Coffee Pitches by Carolin Rothhardt, Valerio Flavio Gili, Michael Reibe and Marius Leyendecker 👉 More details here: https://lnkd.in/dyJafVWr See you in Erfurt, Hall 2, booth 616! 👋

#News | PhoQuant consortium meeting in Stuttgart Quantum computers have the potential to tackle computational problems that are not accessible to classical computers within practical timeframes. The PhoQuant project is working toward demonstrating such a photonic quantum computer and scaling it toward 100 qubits. Recently, the project partners met in Stuttgart for their consortium meeting at Swabian Instruments. The meeting brought together stakeholders from research and industry to discuss the latest results, key achievements and the next steps for the final project phase. In addition to the Gaussian boson sampling system developed at the Universität Paderborn, Fraunhofer IOF has set up a demonstrator with several key capabilities: • Automated application runs • Full phase control • Squeezing-level control per channel • Cloud access This demonstrator is an important step toward exploring how photonic quantum computing can be used for complex computational tasks and future real-world applications. A big thank you to all project partners for the productive exchange in Stuttgart. 🌟

#News | Research on High-Power Laser Systems awarded Best Student Paper Award At this year’s #SPIEPhotonicsEurope, Friedrich Möller was awarded the Best Student Paper Award for his research on “Simultaneous suppression of TMI and SBS in polarization-maintaining fiber amplifiers.” 👏 His research introduces a new approach to polarization-maintaining fiber amplifiers that significantly expands the performance limits of fiber laser systems while ensuring a polarization-stable output beam and high spectral density. The work tackles a key challenge in high-power laser technology: above certain intensity levels, disruptive physical effects can arise inside the optical fiber, destabilizing the beam and threatening system integrity. Especially promising is the fact that this methodology can also be applied to already optimized laser systems, creating new opportunities for polarization-stable fiber laser systems at the highest power levels. Read more on his recognized research here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dGYT56Wf A great recognition of excellent research. Congratulations! 🥳

#News | Large-area nanostructures with atomic precision Using conventional methods, high-precision nanostructures on photonic components can currently only be produced up to a size of 30 cm. Researchers in Thuringia are now working on the development of a new machine that will be able to create nanostructures spanning up to one square meter in the future. 📏 Next to the scaling up in size, precision is another important endeavor of the project: “We want to create nanostructures with a positioning accuracy across this surface of up to twenty picometers,” explains Prof. Uwe Zeitner, project leader at Fraunhofer IOF.💡For comparison: One picometer corresponds to one trillionth of a meter, which is about a hundred times smaller than the diameter of an atom. ⚛️ Fraunhofer IOF contributes its expertise in highly advanced methods for 3D nanolithography. The new machine holds promise to produce large-area photonic components for energy and fusion research, as well as for gravitational wave research. Researchers from Fraunhofer IOF, as well as the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena and the Technische Universität Ilmenau, have now begun the necessary development work as part of a project funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation. A kickoff event will be held during the Quantum Photonics Erfurt on May 6 from 1 to 2 p.m. as part of the trade fair’s conference. More on this technical advancement can be found here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dtaRrhyH