Photonics Devices, Systems and Networks

The cluster brings together research groups and laboratories dedicated to advancing photonic technologies across devices, systems, and networks, addressing both fundamental and applied challenges in optical communications and optoelectronics. Research activities span the modeling, design, and optimization of optoelectronic components—such as semiconductor materials, semiconductor lasers, modulators, detectors, and photonic integrated circuits—as well as the development of high-capacity optical transmission systems and intelligent optical networks.

Key research areas include ultra-wideband and coherent optical fiber systems, hollow-core and short-reach networks, next-generation passive optical networks (PONs), optical performance monitoring and sensing. The cluster is also active in the field of open and software-defined optical networking, promoting the integration of AI-powered digital twins built on open-source planning and control tools (such as GNPy), the coexistence of quantum and classical communication channels, and the utilization of optical networks as distributed sensors.

At the device level, activities focus on the design and modeling of photonic integrated circuits, semiconductor lasers (including quantum-dot, quantum cascade lasers and VCSELs), LEDs, electro-optic modulators, high-efficiency detectors and integrated optical components for silicon photonic platform. Advanced simulation tools are developed to investigate the physical behavior of materials and devices, employing state-of-the-art approaches that range from quantum transport to multi-physics modeling.

The cluster comprises the following research laboratories:

• Optical Communications Laboratory (OptComLab)
  
• Photonic and Optoelectronic Devices: Modelling and CAD Laboratory (POEMLab)
  
• Physical Layer Aware Networking Laboratory (PLANETLab)