Laser World of Photonics 2025

At our booth in Hall A3, we will present materials, modules and systems based on III-V semiconductor lasers and detectors. We will showcase highlights from our latest R&D activities along the value chain for III-V optoelectronics and will be happy to explain the vast application potential of our technologies.

The following exhibits await you:

4'' wafers

Fraunhofer IAF offers customized development and manufacturing services along the entire III-V semiconductor value chain. The portfolio in optoelectronics includes epitaxy and processing of compound semiconductor heterostructures for quantum cascade lasers, disk lasers (VECSEL), type-II superlattice detectors or single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), among others. The exhibited 4’’ wafers demonstrate the capabilities of Fraunhofer IAF.

Multi-core laser system with four quantum cascade laser modules

The individual quantum cascade laser (QCL) modules were fabricated by Fraunhofer IAF using a newly developed automated assembly process for resonantly tunable QCL sources. The process enables the laser sources to be manufactured in a way that is more cost-effective, faster and more flexible, making it suitable for industrial applications. They can be combined in a four-core module, for example, to achieve spectral ranges of up to 1000 wavenumbers in the mid-infrared and measurement rates of 1 kHz. This opens up new analytical and measurement tasks or improves existing ones. The development was carried out in the AIRLAMet project in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IPMS, Sacher Lasertechnik and sentronics metrology.

VECSEL module for quantum frequency conversion 

Fraunhofer IAF has developed single-mode VECSELs based on GaSb that cover the frequency range between 1.9 and 2.5 µm with an output of up to 2.4 W and high spectral accuracy. They were developed as a low-noise pump source for quantum frequency converters as part of the HIFI project. Quantum frequency conversion is intended to enable the existing fiber optic network to be expanded into a quantum internet by converting the wavelength of photons into the telecom range.

Sensor head for MIR backscattering spectroscopy in quality assurance

The sensor head for infrared (IR) backscattering spectroscopy contactlessly and non-destructively verifies, detects and identifies numerous substances in fractions of a second based on their infrared fingerprint. The sensor head thus enables quality assurance in production environments that depend on chemical identification at high measurement speeds—for example in the pharmaceutical industry. The system is based on the QCL technology of Fraunhofer IAF and includes a QCL double-core source.

UV-C camera

The camera with a solar-blind UV-C AlGaN focal plane array is a compact solution for detecting artificial UV-C signatures without natural background radiation. Due to their high bandgap energy and excellent material quality, the photodetectors of Fraunhofer IAF exhibit extremely low dark current signals. With low-noise readout circuits, they have the potential to detect signals with a few UV-C photons per pixel within typical camera integration times of 20 ms.

Bispectral eSWIR module for thermographic monitoring

Overheating parts (hot spots) are a risk for traffic safety on both roads and railways. Thermographic monitoring can detect hot spots at an early stage, but places high demands on the measuring system. Together, Fraunhofer IAF and DIAS Infrared have developed a bispectral camera that allows contact-free and seamless thermographic and visual monitoring of moving objects at high speed. The underlying InGaAsSb detector array for the extended short-wave infrared (eSWIR) was developed by Fraunhofer IAF.