Press Releases

Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen has developed a highly complex laser-optical system for a quantum computer currently under construction at the 5th Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart. This system enables 2,000 Rydberg atoms to be positioned with sub-micrometer precision in the computer’s highly compact vacuum chamber. To do this, the system projects an array of 2,000 individually controllable laser beams into the chamber. These beams act as optical tweezers and hold the trapped Rydberg atoms precisely at the distance required for them to interact with each other. The computer’s quantum logic processes are based on these interactions.

Regulatory pressure, high-value repair and the need for scalable industrial solutions are pushing laser-based manufacturing processes into new territory. Fraunhofer ILT and Etxetar are responding by expanding the industrial reach of laser metal deposition (LMD) and extreme high-speed laser material deposition (EHLA). Under a memorandum of understanding, the two partners are combining process expertise, industrial engineering and application know-how to address growing demands in aviation, coating and beyond.

Increasing levels of automation and new applications are currently shaping industrial laser technology. High-performance lasers and photonic technologies are opening up new growth prospects, particularly in microelectronics, energy, aerospace, and medical technology. These developments driving the industry were discussed in April at AKL’26 – the International Laser Technology Congress in Aachen. For 30 years now, the AKL has served as the platform where users, manufacturers, and developers exchange information on the current state of the art and the latest trends in industrial laser technology.

Battery manufacturers face mounting pressure to reduce scrap, cut energy consumption, shorten cycle times, make better use of materials and ensure the quality of every connection. At LSE – Laser Symposium Electromobility on September 15 and 16, 2026, in Aachen, experts from the automotive industry, supplier sector, equipment manufacturing, and research will discuss how laser-based processes can make battery production faster, more robust, and more scalable. The symposium program at Fraunhofer ILT combines presentations from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bosch, and MAHLE with the latest developments from research and equipment manufacturing. Focus areas include process stability, quality assurance, and the challenge of bringing high-precision laser processes reliably into series production.

Manufacturing and maintaining die-casting tools professionally is crucial to the foundry industry: As one of the most expensive assets, these tools play a decisive role in determining quality, efficiency, and costeffectiveness. Easily costing hundreds of thousands of euros, complex molds and inserts must be able to function over many years without interruption. They must also withstand extreme stress: In die casting, for example, the mold materials are exposed to temperatures of up to 700 °C, while the tools to mechanical forces of several hundred kilonewtons. Added to this are abrasive stresses on the tool surface and chemical attack by alloying elements in the casting materials. Thermal stresses and material fatigue lead to cracking, erosion, and abrasive wear. Even when the molds are designed optimally and manufactured carefully, their wear is an unavoidable factor that eventually means tools have to be replaced. If this occurs unexpectedly, it results in significant downstream costs.

In the HiPEQ project, a consortium of industry and research partners has de-veloped new laser-based approaches to enable miniaturized, robust beam sources for quantum technology. Among others, the consortium also used lasers to grow novel optical isolator crystals. Funded with €6.22 million by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), the project achieved significant progress from November 2021 to July 2025. Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen played a key role by co-developing the laser proces-ses needed.

For three decades now, the AKL – International Laser Technology Congress has been established as a key platform for exchange within the laser community. From April 22–24, 544 experts from 21 countries, around 90 speakers, and 57 exhibiting companies and institutions flocked to AKL’26 in Aachen. There, during the Gerd Herziger Session, a panel of high-caliber experts reviewed the developments of the past 30 years and looked ahead to the future of increasingly ubiquitous laser technology.

With its planar, highly integrated XY scanner for industrial use (PIXIE), an upcoming spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen aims to set new performance standards. The 2D laser deflection system is faster and much more compact than today's galvanometer scanners. This makes it ideal for parallelized material processing with multi-scanner systems and high-power lasers, whose beam is divided into many independently scanned beams for this purpose. The multidisciplinary, diverse quartet of founders behind PIXIE has its sights set on further application markets.

Laser technology is breaking into new dimensions: Ultrashort-pulse and continuous-wave lasers with average powers in the multi-kilowatt (kW) range promise to boost efficiency for material processing and pave the way for entirely new fields of applications. At the AKL’26 - International Laser Technology Congress, taking place from April 22 to 24, 2026, in Aachen, several sessions will focus on multi-kW lasers.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will present its laser-based process chain for glass optics manufacturing at Optatec, May 5–7, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main, Hall 3, Booth 219. From optical design through shaping, laser polishing, and laser shape correction to alignment and packaging, Fraunhofer ILT offers a fully integrated, laser-based manufacturing process that is unique in this form worldwide. The process chain covers shaping, laser polishing, and laser shape correction, followed by alignment and packaging. Fraunhofer ILT offers a fully integrated, laser-based manufacturing process that is unique in this form worldwide.