ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences

ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences
Established 2002
Research type basic and applied
Field of research
 Photonics, Quantum technology, Graphene
Director Lluis Torner
Staff 400
Location Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
Website https://www.icfo.eu/

ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences (Catalan:Institut de Ciències Fotòniques) (Spanish: Instituto de Ciencias Fotónicas) is a centre of research excellence devoted to the science and technology of light. Located in Barcelona, Spain, ICFO[1] was created in 2002 by the Government of Catalonia and the Technical University of Catalonia.

The Institute carries out research and trains scientists and technologists. ICFO actively collaborates with research centers, universities, hospitals, and a range of private companies based locally and all over the world. ICFO currently hosts 26 research groups working in more than 60 different laboratories. Available to them are a Nanophotonics Fabrication lab, Super-Resolution Light Microscopy & Nanoscopy Lab, an Advanced Engineering Lab and a range of other support facilities. All research groups and facilities are located in a dedicated 14,000 m2 (150,000 sq ft) -building situated in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Currently, ICFO counts about 400 researchers, a number that is continuously growing.

Research

Headquarters of ICFO in Castelldefels, Barcelona.

Research at ICFO encompasses four broad thematic areas: nonlinear photonics, quantum photonics, nanophotonics,and biophotonics. Researchers work in a great variety of fields, including quantum information technologies, nanophotonic devices, remote sensors, optoelectronics, integrated optics, ultrafast optics, biophotonics, and biomedical optics. Projects are run as part of both medium- and long-term programs.

Research Thrusts

Research at ICFO targets science and technology based on light with a main focus in Health, Renewable Energy and Information Technologies.

Light for health

The Super-resolution Light Microscopy & Nanoscopy (SLN)[2] facility at ICFO is a Euro‐BioImaging (EuBI) specialized imaging facility node, joining other facilities in Europe. Its main goal is to provide and facilitate services and biological and medical imaging technologies for life scientists world-wide. Available techniquesinclude super resolution STORM and STED, Lattice light sheet, Light sheet fluorescence, Raman and SERS, Fluorescence (Confocal, Multispectral Confocal, FRET, FRAP, etc), Multiphoton (TPEF, THG, SHG), Optical Tweezers and Femtosecond nanosurgery. ICFO’s SLN facility is also part of the European CORBEL and LaserLab research infrastructures.

ICFO collaborates with local hospitals, healthcare centers, biomedical research centers, universities, and corporations alike, acting as the local BioPhotonics Hub.

Light for energy

ICFO Research Centre in Castelldefels, Barcelona

Photonics is at the core of all light-harvesting concepts and technologies like photovoltaics and solar cells. To tackle the challenges in energy efficiency, researchers at ICFO are developing disruptive approaches for renewable energy applications. Examples of on-going projects include different advanced low cost highly efficient transparent solar cells, organic LEDs, transparent photonics approaches, smart windows, energy efficient optoelectronic devices, photoelectric, thermoelectric and electromechanical transducers, and energy efficient sensors. ICFO also hosts active programs in nanophotonics, including nano-structured materials, nano-cavities, nano-antennas, low cost material processed nano photonic devices and plasmonic enhanced light harvesting.

Light for Information

ICFO conducts research in classical communications and investigates disruptive nanophotonics, new photonic materials and quantum technologies. Thirteen research groups, including theoreticians, experimental physicists and engineers, work together in the search for landmark discoveries and advancements for quantum technologies.

Education

Undergraduate Courses

Various programs have been created to promote science and foster research careers of young students that wish to have a first hands-on experience within the field optics and photonics. Programs offered to undergraduate students comprehend:

    1. Summer Fellows Program: Operating in the framework of the Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera·Ignacio Cirac Program Chair at ICFO, this program offers undergraduate students in the last two years of their Master-equivalent or Engineering degree studies the opportunity to collaborate with ICFO researchers over the summer period.
    2. Student Internship Program: Undergraduate students from top Universities worldwide are invited to carry out an internship at ICFO to broaden their education and research training, either by accomplishing the final career project or participating in a research stay.

Master's degree program in photonics

Teaming up with Universities and Institutions in the Barcelona area, as well as in other European countries, ICFO participates in Master Programs in optics and photonic related areas. Students have the opportunity to accomplish the compulsory Master Thesis at ICFO.

    1. Master in Photonics (MSc) offered by UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya); UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona); UB (Universitat de Barcelona); and ICFO. This Master aims to educate future researchers and talented technology specialists, and promote entrepreneurial activity amongst students.[3]
    2. Erasmus Mundus Master Course (EMMC) EUROPHOTONICS[4] in Photonics Engineering, Nanophotonics and Biophotonics, offered by Institut Fresnel, Paul Cézanne Aix Marseille III University; KSOP-Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; LENS-Università degli Studi di Firenze; UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) and ICFO.

PhD program in photonics

    1. PhD Program, offered by UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) and ICFO.
    2. Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate in Photonics Engineering, Nanophotonics and Biophoton-ics, offered by Institut Fresnel, Paul Cézanne Aix Marseille III University; KSOP-Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; LENS-Università degli Studi di Firenze; UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) and ICFO.

Topics include optical techniques in biology, applied nonlinear optics, optoelectronics, laser spectroscopy, nanophotonics, quantum optics, quantum information technologies, and ultrafast optics, among many others. The courses provide students with a solid fundamental grounding as well as knowledge in the latest advances in the field. ICFO also offers several opportunities for Master’s students to do their thesis research project with one of the ICFO groups.


Knowledge and technology transfer

The Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) Office at ICFO plays a role at the interface with the industrial and corporate worlds.

Industrial Collaborations

One of the central goals of the KTT Office is to foster the establishment of new partnerships between ICFO researchers and businesses of all types. To foment collaborations, KTT has instigated a number of programs and associations that allow relationships to develop into full-fledged technology transfer initiatives. Some of these interactions take place within the broader context of academia-industry associations. ICFO is a member of the European Photonics Industry Consortium[5](EPIC) and takes part in Photonics21[6] the European Technology Platform (ETP) for Photonics in Europe and in its national equivalent in Spain, Fotónica21[7]. The institute also participates in European Technology platforms such as ETP Nanomedicine[8], and collaborates with SECPhO[9], a Southern European cluster in Photonics and Optics.

Spin-Offs

Through the Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) office, the centre fosters entrepreneurial activities and spin-off creation. It participates in incubator activities and seeks to attract venture capital investment. To date, ICFO has helped created six successful start-up companies, with additional initiatives in various stages of incubation.

    1. Radiantis (2005) [10]
    2. Cosingo- Imagine Optics Spain S.L. (2008) [11]
    3. Signadyne (now part of Keysight Technologies (2011)
    4. ProCareLight (2013) [12]
    5. HemoPhotonics (2013)[13]
    6. QuSide (2017) [14]

The Corporate Liaison Program (CLP) at ICFO serves as a bridge between ICFO researchers and all kinds of industries and corporations. In 2018, ICFO celebrated the CLP Day dedicated to Quantum Technologies (link). ICFO has a wide range of joint research projects currently running in collaboration with different types of corporations worldwide, including start-ups, small and medium enterprises and large companies. Joint projects include both public and privately funded research activities, contracted research, consultancy, and co-development or prototyping. Other explored possibilities are joint research labs, joint ventures, or personnel exchange programs.

References

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