Photonics

Material development is one of the pillars of the trust. Several approaches are carried out for fabrication of new materials, implementation of novel approach for 2D/3D structuring high optical contrasts, and development of novel 3D printing techniques. The aim is not solely to design the materials composition but also to adapt it to its future integration and function in optical components and system. A specific effort is dedicated to heavy metal oxide transparent ceramics and glass and their integration solution in monolithic laser architecture for near and middle infrared applications. Femtosecond laser interactions are investigated for 3D high-resolution optical patterning in novel materials. 3D printing of optical materials is the other major objective currently being addressed by the WP.

This WP is backed by the national Equipex+ program entitled “Additive manufacturing of glasses and components for photonics”, in which the Bordeaux site is one of the main players.

This WP addresses several issues from the surface spatial and chemical patterning and organization to the development of appropriate multimodal spectroscopy and imaging. One of these efforts is to study and engineer the strong links between molecular assemblies and micro/nano-functionalization processes in specific textures to control optical response. This is one of major challenges for the development of opto-electronics and photonic systems.

One of the aims of the WP is to investigate unexplored and versatile strategies and technologies, based on an unconventional use of disordered optical metasurfaces, to create brand-new appearance. The WP focuses also on the design of reversible photo-switchable molecular monolayers with contrasts in their electronic, magnetic or optical properties.

Another objective of the WP is the fabrication of active chiral materials, with properties that can be reversibly switched upon light illumination, or under another external stimulus (magnetic field, …) or through a strand displacement. Accurate multimodal setup is developed for the study of achiral and chiral interfaces. New chiroptical/opto-magnetic techniques as hyper-Rayleigh optical activity (HROA) is explored to fully characterize the novel properties.

It is essential to develop new manufacturing practices for photonic systems in order to reduce costs and improve compactness robustness and reliability.

The WP focuses on physical and material science issues regarding novel solution for generating light while reducing at the most the free space propagation. In particular, it addresses i) the implementation of components for monolithic pulse laser sources in the promising wavelength range between 1 µm to 6 µm and the issue of exciton separation in organic materials which remains an important limit for the development of organic-based light sources, ii) the design and investigation of novel solutions for THz radiation and propagation, iii) novel second-order architectures and materials for compact three wave mixing, and iv) novel mid-IR Fiber laser development.
For this purpose, femtosecond direct laser writing of transparent targeted will be developed for a rapid direct manufacturing of photonic components and sub-assemblies such as integrated Bragg gratings, volume Bragg gratings or laser front end.

The generation of THz radiation in fibers brings significant advantage in compactness and reliability as well as for applications in dual optical/THz endoscopy. Non-centrosymmetrical patterning in amorphous materials offer solutions for online imprinting of second-order nonlinearity and quasi-phase matching for all integrated guided efficient photonic sources. The WP aims also at developing new mid-IR fiber sources delivering ultrashort and intense pulses with broad tunability, useful for fundamental physics, bio-imaging, sensing, and laser machining.

For multiple applications in photonics integrated sensors in “lab on fiber” or “lab on chip” are crucial for in situ light and chemical sensing.

The WP aims at the design a new class of glass/metal composite fibers for controlling both the light features (wavelength, energy, coherence…) and a simultaneous electrical excitation in hybrid optical/electrical fibers. The applications addressed concern sensing technology, electro-optic endoscopy, and high-resolution therapy.

Regarding integrated optical sensors system should be simple, sensitive, selective and portable for real-time in-situ detection of pollutants in ppb. Using the surface chemistry approaches developed in WP2, This WP aims at developing a sensor working in a wide spectral range (from visible et midIR) integrating the optical source, the transducer and the photodetector.