Network of Excellence in Micro-Optics (NEMO)

Project coordinator
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

Partners
Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie — Centre d’Etudes de l’Energie Nucleaire, Belgium; VDM Laser Optics NV, Belgium; Universiteit Gent, Belgium; Heptagon OY, Finland; Joensuun Yliopisto, Finland; VTT Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus (Technical Research Centre of Finland), Finland; Thales S.A., France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifi que, France; Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Germany; Lighttrans GmbH, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander Universitaet Erlangen — Nuernberg, Germany; Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy; Technische Universiteit Delft, Netherlands; National Institute of Telecommunications, Poland, Politechnika Wrocławska (Wroclaw University of Technology), Poland; Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Sklodowskiej (Maria Curie Sklodowska University), Poland; Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola Aktiebolag, Sweden; Uppsala Universitet, Sweden; Universite de Neuchatel, Switzerland; CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique S.A. — Recherche et Developpment, Switzerland; Suss Microoptics SA, Switzerland; Sabanci University, Turkey; Koc University, Turkey; University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom; Heriot- Watt University, United Kingdom.

Aim of project
This Network of Excellence on Micro-Optics NEMO aims at providing Europe with a complete Micro-Optics foodchain through setting up centers for Optical Modelling and Design; Measurement and Instrumentation; Mastering, Prototyping and Replication; Hybrid Integration and Packaging; Reliability and Standardization. A fi rst objective of the NEMO network is to make these service and technology centres accessible to academic research institutes, SME’s, and large companies to enhance the competitiveness of photonic-based products and the durable embedding of novel photonic functionalities in a myriad of products. A second objective is to use these service and technology centres to support the network’s six long-term application- oriented research topics on micro-optics: Mid-Infra- Red micro-optics, Sub-wavelength structured optical surfaces, Platforms for optical MEMS, Non-conventional micro-optical elements, Micro-optical structures for sensing, and Micro-optic interconnects. These long-term research topics aim at widening the scope of present-day research and at introducing novel concepts and components, thus creating new photonic functionalities applicable in virtually any region of the optical spectrum and beyond. With its long-term research NEMO is targeting a wealth of novel optical and photonic applications to increase the quality of daily life.

Three units of Warsaw University of Technology participate in this project: Faculty of Mechatronics, Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology and Faculty of Physics, and are responsible for contributions and deliverables in the fields of Optical Modelling and Design; Measurement and Instrumentation as well as Mastering, Prototyping and Replication.

Expected results
The project aims at setting up of a Network of Excellence for Micro-Optics “NEMO” with a threefold mission:
To provide the European Research Area with a durable worldforce in long-term research on micro-optical components, systems and technologies;
To establish service and technology providing centres, that will be accessible for companies, in order to facilitate the uptake of advanced micro-optic technologies in future commercial products and to enhance European competitiveness in tomorrow’s information society;
To disseminate expertise on micro-optics to the scientifi c and industrial world and create an active awareness with the general public on the role that light and micro-optics will play to improve the quality of life. Specifi c goals of Centres of Excellence in which participating units of Warsaw University of Technology are involved in are:
The Centre for Modelling and Design: whose objectives are to collect and benchmark the diff erent commercial and proprietary micro-optics and photonics modelling and design software, and to identify the missing fi elds in the micro-optics simulation tools;
The Centre for Measurement and Instrumentation: whose objectives are to collect and benchmark the different commercial and proprietary micro-optics measurement instruments and the associated analysis software for the characterization of micro-optical components and optical materials, to identify the white spots in this field and to develop novel measurement concepts and instrumentation for novel micro-optical characteristics and quantities;
The Centre for Prototyping, Mastering and Replication: whose objectives are to evaluate and compare the different prototyping, mastering and replication technologies in NEMO’s technology portfolio, and to push the specifications of a selection of these technologies.