Current Collaborative Projects

The German lighting industry today faces global competition and therefore demands technologies that allow lighting panels to be produced more resource and cost efficiently than before. In the "KonFutius" project, a new panel light is being developed together with six partners, in which fibre composite plastics and electronic components are integrated. Compared with conventional halogen lamps, the light not only consumes less energy, but also has up to 60 percent lower manufacturing costs.

In LASIBAT functional ceramic materials, adapted layer deposition methods as well as a scalable inline laser sintering process including the necessary laser system technology (laser source, optics and temperature control unit) are developed for the manufacturing of solid-state batteries. Laser sintering enables a reduction of the thermal impact on underlying material und undesired diffusion process and therefore the formation of side phases which would otherwise reduce the battery performance. At the end of the project, a setup for an in-line laser sintering process is built up to show scalability for potential industrial use. The materials for cathode and electrolyte layers are especially adapted to the new and comparably fast blue laser sintering method. Blue laser radiation increases the efficiency of the laser sintering process due to higher absorption of most ceramic materials. Due to the low optical penetration depth it makes layer selective heating possible which is necessary for the sintering of the thin film electrolyte.

The result of the project is (1) new solid-state battery material system, adapted to the fast laser sintering, which fulfil the necessities over the lifetime while meeting additional restrictions as e. g. price and environmental challenges (2) to setup a demonstrator to validate the cell concept of the solid-state battery cell with a mixed cathode layer and laser sintering for manufacturing and (3) to develop an experimental setup for a scalable laser-based sintering in-line approach with blue laser radiation and a closed loop temperature control.

In the context of climate change and the energy transition, interest in the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is increasing. Crucial for this is the entire chain from generation, storage and distribution to reconversion into useful energy by different technologies. High-temperature fuel cells based on oxide ceramic materials SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) show the best efficiency of all available fuel cells. However, this technology is still subject to limitations today, such as insufficient cycle stability, long start-up time and high manufacturing costs. As a result, their widespread use is limited. The project of the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT), the Institute for Materials in Electrical Engineering 2 at RWTH Aachen University (IWE) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) aims to lay essential foundations to eliminate these restrictions. By using a thin-film proton conductor as the electrolyte material, the cycle stability is to be significantly increased compared to the state of the art. The overall objective of the project is therefore to develop high-performance material systems and suitable production processes for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for the next generation of SOFCs. Materials and production processes are to be designed with a particular focus on inline capability and scalability in order to ensure targeted production by SMEs that is suitable for mass production. The main focus is on companies that can play a significant role in the future-oriented "fuel cell" technology by using new materials and modern process technology: Material production, scaling of precursor synthesis, production of porous metal carriers, deposition technology, special plant engineering, laser and process monitoring technology, and laser system integration.

The goal of the project is to develop a tunable beam source and to demonstrate its suitability for applications in quantum technology using exemplary laser cooling of strontium (Sr).

This would make it possible for the first time to provide a platform for sub-MHz laser sources in a spectral range from 350 nm to 700 nm for various quantum technology applications, which only has to be qualified once for a spaceborne operation. In doing so, two technologies already developed for spaceborne applications, low-noise fiber-based amplifiers from the development for LISA and variable frequency conversion from MERLIN, will be transferred by adapting and combining them, enabling a high level of technological maturity.

LASHARE is the acronym of a European project involving more than 30 SMEs from across Europe, partners from industry and six of the most renowned laser research institutes.

Main objective is to share knowledge on laser-based equipment and its use addressing the whole value chain end to end. As a key success factor for European manufacturing the transfer of innovative solutions from the laboratory into industrially robust products and the dissemination of its use stands at the heart of the project.

PhotonHub Europe is a European initiative for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). More than 50 research centers from the field of photonics support the use of photonic technologies in SMEs with their offerings. Along different application areas, these technologies are divided into eight platforms. They range from a focus on components such as optical fibers to semiconductor circuits with integrated photonic functions (Photonics Integrated Circuit / PIC) and laser-based application processes. The aim of PhotonHub Europe is to transfer complex technologies to companies so that they can employ this knowledge to strengthen their innovative power and improve their products. 

Limiting global warming requires major efforts in business and society. Great potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial production exists in the manufacture of metallic components. Intelligent lightweight construction applications can save resources in production as well as during the component's service life. Laser-based manufacturing processes are predestined for this, but their cross-industry, combined application is still pending.

The consortium is jointly dedicated to taking the necessary steps to bring the required innovations and technology to industry. To this end, laser-based manufacturing processes are being further developed, new manufacturing routes are being identified and the CO2 equivalents of the process chains are being investigated using sample components.

Conventional processing of tool steels by means of the Additive Manufacturing process Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) tends to lead to cracking due to internal stresses (analogy to welding). This is specifically due to high-alloy, carbide-containing, abrasion-resistant tool steels. By adjusting process parameters such as the preheating temperature or the scanning strategy, cracking can still be avoided in small, simple components. However, with component size and complexity, the level of internal stresses increases, which means that technically relevant tools made of tool steels cannot currently be produced using LPBF. A subsequent hot isostatic pressing (HIP) reduces pores and internal microcracks, but not macroscopic cracks.

In this project, together with partners from industry, two modified high-speed steels are to be proven that they can be processed into crack-free components using LPBF. The aim is to develop an adapted LPBF process for complex structures and the post-processing process chain "hot isostatic pressing (HIP) - machining – quenching and tempering", as well as to demonstrate high resistance to fatigue, rolling and abrasive wear. Design guidelines for the production of complex components using LPBF and HIP quenching and tempering, as well as the specification of mechanical properties in data sheets, are intended to enable SMEs to integrate LPBF processing of high-speed steels in their own business areas with minimal business risks.

Within the IDEEL project, the project partners are pursuing several goals. In the first step, a new battery electrode paste optimised for laser application will be developed as a coating material (PEM RWTH, MEET WWU), a highly efficient laser system with a large-area, homogeneous spot (Laserline) as well as a highly integrative process monitoring system based on contactless temperature measurement (Optris, Laserline, Fraunhofer ILT). Based on this, the laser-based drying process will be scaled up to industry-typical feed rates within a demonstrator (Coatema) and finally the physical model of the new drying process will be validated (Fraunhofer ILT, FFB). 

In the future, the results of the IDEEL project will be incorporated into the processes of the Fraunhofer Research Fabrication Battery Cell (FFB), which is supporting the project in a conceptual and advisory capacity. 

The drying process addressed by the IDEEL project is part of the electrode production for high-power battery cells, such as those used in electric vehicles or home storage systems. It is used to dry an electrode paste (slurry), which consists of a specifically adjusted, homogeneous active material mixture and is applied to the copper foil of the battery electrode. Up to now, convection dryers have been used for the heat drying of this electrode coating, but they only transfer their heat energy indirectly into the material and thus place a heavy burden on the CO2 balance and the energy costs of battery production. The IDEEL project partners are therefore focusing on upscaling a more energy-efficient drying process in which the coating is irradiated with the help of high-power diode lasers. This should significantly shorten the area-intensive drying modules, which are usually more than 100 metres long. 

The research project is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the Battery 2020 funding initiative.

In the framework of the ATIQ project (quantum computers with stored ions), the Fraunhofer ILT is working with a total of 24 other partners to develop reliable quantum computer demonstrators for complementary use cases, including quantum chemistry (reaction chemistry), finance (credit risk assessment) and applied mathematics (optimization problems).

The project is aimed to manufacture a commercial prototype based on the ion-trap technology with a total number of (initially) 40 qubits and a correspondingly high gate fidelity.

Project partners: 

Gesellschaft für Angewandte Mikro- und Optoelektronik mit beschränkter Haftung - AMO GmbH, AKKA Industry Consulting GmbH, Black Semiconductor GmbH, eleQtron GmbH, FiberBridge Photonics GmbH, Fraunhofer IOF, Infineon Technologies AG, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (Institut für Physik), JoS QUANTUM GmbH, Leibniz Universität Hannover, LPKF Laser & Electronics AG, Parity Quantum Computing Germany GmbH, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig und Berlin (PTB), QUARTIQ GmbH, QUBIG GmbH, RWTH Aachen, TOPTICA Photonics AG, TU Braunschweig, University Siegen

The E-TEST project is developing key technologies for a third-generation gravitational wave detector, also known as Einstein Telescope. Gravitational wave detectors provide an alternative view into interstellar processes, such as the collision of stars and supernovae, which can be detected by specific signatures in the form of gravitational waves, and thus represents an important addition to other established observation methods, such as optical or radio telescopes in the exploration of the universe. The investigations in the project cover a wide range, from geological investigations to high-precision optical components and the investigation of operation at cryogenic temperatures.

To achieve all this, a consortium of partners from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany has been formed. The project is led and coordinated by the University of Liège. The task of Fraunhofer ILT within this project is the development of a highly stable laser with an output wavelength around 2 µm and an extremely narrow linewidth below 10 kHz, which will be used within an interferometer for the detection of small, gravitational-wave induced changes in length.

Project partners: 

Hasselt University, KU Leuven University, Maastricht University, Nikhef – National Institute for Subatomic Physics, NMWP Management GmbH, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), RWTH Aachen University, Université catholique de Louvain, University of Liège (Lead Partner).

The collaborative project "Highly Integrated PIC-based ECDLs for Quantum Technology" (HiPEQ) focuses on the development of an innovative platform for miniaturized single-mode and narrow-band diode lasers ("External Cavity Diode Laser", ECDL) based on photonic-integrated circuits ("PIC") in the visible spectral range. Narrowband fully integrated lasers are needed in various quantum technology applications such as the realization of ion-based quantum computers, quantum communication as well as quantum sensing.

On the one hand, the Fraunhofer ILT is working on the realization of laser-manufactured 3D precision components for the interface and interconnect components between the PIC and the fiber. On the other hand, in a second work package, an optical system for beam shaping and guiding will be developed, which will be used together with a high-power diode laser to grow novel insulator crystals with large Verdet constants. 

Project partners:

TOPTICA Photonics AG, RWTH Lehrstuhl für integrierte Photonik, Surfacenet GmbH, Laserline Gesellschaft für Entwicklung und Vertrieb von Diodenlasern mbH, Electro-Optics Technology GmbH

The goal of this project is to build and operate a scalable elementary quantum processing unit based on trapped atomic ions. This platform features qubits with coherence times of several seconds and laser-driven gates of high quality. Individual optical addressing on smaller qubit registers together with dynamic configuration of registers by moving, swapping and regrouping the ions enables a scalable solution with high qubit connectivity. The quantum processor will be connected to the Mainz-based high-performance computer MOGON II with low latency and made available to external users as a user facility. At Fraunhofer ILT, advanced laser-based fabrication techniques for the monolithic segmented linear microchip ion trap are being further developed and adapted to the requirements of an innovative trap.

Project partners: 

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz – Institut für Physik, AKKA DSW GmbH, Fraunhofer IOF, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH – Theoretische Nanoelektronik, TOPTICA Photonics AG

The aim of this project is to research and implement novel three-dimensional photonic structures, for example geometrically twisted photonic crystal fibers or non-orientable microresonators. At the Fraunhofer ILT, the methods required to manufacture such structures are being developed based on selective laser structuring and laser modification processes. It is only through the use of micro- and nanoscale laser-based manufacturing processes that the production of such components becomes possible at all. In particular, the two manufacturing processes inverse laser beam drilling (ILB) and selective laser-induced etching (SLE) offer the required geometric degrees of freedom for the generation of three-dimensional photonic components.

Project partners: 

Fraunhofer ISC, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light MPL