For quantum imaging applications, Fraunhofer ILT develops parametric photon sources in the MIR range, for example. Among other things, it uses periodically poled crystals pumped with semiconductor disk lasers to generate measurement wavelengths in the range of a few micrometers and additionally easily detectable signal wavelengths. These photon sources can be used in interferometers as imaging systems. In addition to the sources themselves, the institute is developing methods for image acquisition with optimized imaging quality, methods that can expand imaging in biology, semiconductors or metrology, for example. In addition, they open up completely new possibilities in medical technology, among other areas, thanks to the low intensities used.
In the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS, Fraunhofer ILT is working on high-performance ultrafast lasers for producing components for quantum technologies 2.0. By means of ultrafast laser pulses, for example, nitrogen vacancy centers (NV centers) can be generated in the lattice structure of diamond crystals and then used to measure magnetic fields with particularly high sensitivity in the field of quantum sensors. In addition, NV centers generated in this way are also potentially suitable as qubits for solid-state-based quantum computers.
The institute is also conducting research in simulation – here, modeled physical processes in semiconductor structures are transferred to the field of quantum technology applications in order to better understand and use semiconductor spin qubits in the future, for example.
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
