PIONEAR

📣 PIONEAR newsletter, issue 1 is out now! PIONEAR is delighted to introduce its project newsletter, designed to share valuable insights, updates, and information about our pioneering work in developing a photonic microphone with sound quality surpassing that of the human ear. Want to stay in the loop? Click here to download Issue 1 and subscribe to future newsletters: https://bit.ly/4fxpYWf #PIONEAR #PhotonicsMicrophone #HorizonEurope #EU

We’re putting our heads together for some productive discussions! Today, we are hosting 20 participants representing 7 consortium partners at our institute for a PIONEAR project meeting. The visit kicked off with a tour of the GaN technology, sensors, thin-film structures and porous materials technology laboratory, where participants got a close look at the research infrastructure used to carry out tasks related to manufacturing a microphone based on #VCSEL #lasers. The days ahead promise to be busy! 🔧📊 Work package leaders will present the results of their research so far. The key discussions will focus on the design and development of essential microphone components, including the #membrane, acoustic #chamber, VCSEL lasers, as well as the assembly and testing of individual parts of the #microphone. PIONEAR has formed a unique consortium of 4 research partners and 3 SMEs from different parts of the world, each renowned for their expertise in their respective fields. Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics is proud to be part of this consortium. The main objective of PIONEAR is to create the proof-of-concept of a novel miniature microphone with better-than-human-ear sound quality. It will be enabled by a radically new chromometric sensing solution, that PIONEAR will develop by integrating electronic, micro-mechanic and photonic technologies. Departement Technik OST accelopment VIGO Photonics Tyndall National Institute Lumiary Lodz University of Technology

🚀 The PIONEAR project’s 3rd General Assembly is in full swing! Hosted by Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, project partners are now convened in #Warsaw, #Poland, to provide updates on the progress of their work within the project. The presentations are prompting fruitful discussions that help partners set priorities for the months to come. Interested? Follow our social media channels for more updates! #HEU #Microphone #SoundEngineering #EU

📣 Just a week to go until the 3rd #PIONEAR General Assembly! Taking place from 1 October to 3 October, this three-day event will be hosted by our partner Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics in #Warsaw, #Poland. During the meeting, project partners will: 📰 Share key progress updates ⛔ Address challenges and brainstorm solutions ✔ Celebrate success factors ⏭ Strategise the next steps for the project 🏭 Visit partners’ facilities Interested in learning more? Visit our website: https://bit.ly/3MZ4chh #PIONEAR #Photonics #HEU #EU

📣 Meet the #PIONEAR partners: Departement Technik OST 🏨 About the Partner The #IMP Institute at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences - Campus Buchs specialises in educating engineers in photonics, microtechnology, materials science, and production metrology, while also developing cutting-edge technological solutions that meet industrial standards. With a team of 50 professors and highly skilled engineers, #OST ensures the highest professional standards in its research and development projects. The institution’s integrative systems engineering approach and experience in collaborative, transdisciplinary projects lead to innovative and practical outcomes. #OST's expertise spans #microtechnology, #photonics, #materials science, and #production #metrology, with capabilities including a 600 m² clean room for advanced micro-technical processes. 👷♂️ About the Team The #OST team for the #PIONEAR project features Dr Tobias Lamprecht, Dr Markus Michler, MSc David Eggenberger, MSc David Bischof, MSc Tina Strüning, and Marco Roth. Their expertise is extensive, spanning a broad range of fields including #MEMS, #microtechnology, #miniaturisation, #opticalsensing, #opticalwaveguides, #optics, #photonics, #quantum technology, #sensor technologies, system integration, and #laserprocessing. Interested? Follow our social media for more updates!

📣 Meet the #PIONEAR partners: VIGO Photonics   🏨 About the Partner VIGO Photonics is a European manufacturer of #epitaxialwafers and #photonics instruments, which specialises in #MWIR and #LWIR detectors and modules using proprietary technology. With a complete front-end and back-end production line, VIGO handles everything from #epitaxy to detector chips, #lasers, and integration with #electronics. The company is expanding its market reach with subsidiaries in #Europe and the #US, employing around 200 specialists. VIGO’s expertise is crucial for the #PIONEAR project, which aims to develop a novel miniature microphone. As one of the few European manufacturers of #VCSEL, VIGO is a key player in the project.   👷♂️ About the Team The VIGO Photonics team for the #PIONEAR project features Walery Kołkowski and Justyna Kurek. Within the project, they will be responsible for the development of the epitaxial growth VCSEL structures. Walery Kołkowski is an Expert in Epitaxy at VIGO photonics. His research interests are diverse, encompassing #semiconductors, #photonics, #solid #state #physics.   Justyna Kurek is an Epitaxy Engineer at VIGO photonics. Her research interests are broad and include #optics, #photonics, and #quantumphysics. Interested? Follow our social media channels for more updates! #PIONEAR #HEU #EU

📣 Meet the #PIONEAR partners: Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics 🏨 About the Institute The Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, with over 50 years of history, boasts a staff of 420 members. As part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, it focuses on developing technologies for new materials such as gallium nitride and graphene, researching their properties, and exploring their applications in various sectors including #energy, #electronics, #photonics, #medicine, #aviation, #defence, #space, and #automotive industries. Key photonic technologies include fibre optic and micro-optical technologies, lasers, and radiation detectors. 👷♂️ About the Team The Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics team for the #PIONEAR project features Dr Anna Szerling and Dr Marek Ekielski. Dr Anna Szerling is the Director of the Nanotechnology Centre and leads the GaN-based Devices, Sensors, Thin-film Structures, and Porous Materials Research Group at the Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics. Her research interests are diverse, encompassing #photonics, #fabrication, and #laser systems. Dr Marek Ekielski is the leader of the 3D Structure Research Area and serves as the Vice-Leader of the GaN-based Devices, Sensors, Thin-film Structures, and Porous Materials Research Group. His research interests are broad and include photonics, advanced #microelectronic and #optoelectronic devices, as well as micro-and #nanostructure fabrication and #semiconductor processing. Interested? Follow our social media channels for more updates! #PIONEAR #HEU #EU

Meet the #PIONEAR partners: Tyndall National Institute 🏨 About the Organisation Tyndall National Institute, a leading Irish ICT research institute, is part of University College Cork. It accommodates 400 staff and students and is divided into two centres: #Microelectronics and #Photonics. The Photonics Centre, the larger of the two, showcases Tyndall's extensive expertise in areas ranging from theory and #semiconductor growth to #fabrication, systems #design, #testing, #packaging, and #integration. While Tyndall primarily operates in the telecommunications and biomedical sectors, it also engages with emerging and future technologies. 👷♂️ About Kamil Gradkowski Kamil Gradkowski earned an MSc in applied physics from the Warsaw Institute of Technology, and a PhD degree in applied physics from the Cork Institute of Technology. He is currently employed as a senior researcher at the Tyndall National Institute. His interests span from Photonics Packaging to Pluggable Photonic Devices, making him a valuable team member for PIONEAR. Interested? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d34btvyd 

Meet the #PIONEAR partners: Lumiary 🏨 About the Company Lumiary is a Swedish startup pioneering a novel laser sensor technology called #chromometry to develop advanced and #ultrasensitive #microphones. Their mission is to create and sell microphones and microphone capsules for a wide range of applications, including professional audio, hearing aids, defence and consumer electronics. Lumiary also aims to expand its technology to other types of chromometric sensors, such as inertial sensors. Notably, Lumiary is the coordinator of the #PIONEAR project. 👷♂️ About the Team The Lumiary team for the #PIONEAR project features Per Grön and Andreas Lundström. Per Grön: CEO and founder of Lumiary, and the visionary behind the chromometric microphones being developed in the #PIONEAR project. His expertise spans from #acoustics and microphones to #photonics and #signal #processing. Andreas Lundström: A dedicated Developer and Engineer at Lumiary, he is passionate about prototype development, playing a crucial role in the project's success. Interested? Follow our social media channels for more updates!

Shhh Listen carefully ... 🎧Despite significant advances in recent decades, microphone technology can still not capture sound as effectively as the human ear. 👂 With no microphone achieving a self-noise level of 0 dB SPL (physical hearing threshold), the capability to sense sounds up to 130 dB SPL ✈ (jet take-off), and with a bandwidth of 20 kHz, there is room for innovation in this area. 🎤 👉To make this vision a reality, #PIONEAR has formed a unique consortium of four research partners and three SMEs from different parts of the world, each known for their expertise in their respective fields. Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics is part of this consortium. They will work to develop the technology of special vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs), create miniature acoustic chambers and membranes, and assemble and package the final device with the highest precision. The European project „A photonic microphone with better-than-human-ear sound quality (PIONEAR)” under #HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN was officially launched in Härnösand, Sweden. The main objective of the project is to produce a prototype of a novel miniature microphone. This will be made possible by a radically new chromometric sensor solution that PIONEAR will develop through the integration of electronic components, and micromechanical and photonic technologies. ❕ The result of PIONEAR's success? With microphones that feature incredibly low noise levels, the devices will have ✔programmable directionality and ✔unparalleled selectivity, effectively mimicking human hearing. This innovation goes beyond consumer electronics and hearing aids to impact areas such as autonomous robotics, environmental monitoring, and more. Moreover, the sensor concept is not limited to #microphones. We expect it to bring similar performance improvements to a wide range of sensor categories such as pressure and ultrasonic sensors, biochemical sensors, gas and aerosol sensors, and accelerometers. European Commission Anna Szerling   Mario Ceccarelli Per Grön Marek Ekielski Marcin Gębski #photonics Lumiary IPM Institut für Informations- und Prozessmanagement - OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule | Politechnika Łódzka |University College Cork | VIGO Photonics accelopment