PERSEPHONe
Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme, PERSEPHONe is a coordinated training network that aims to equip young researchers with new skills and knowledge regarding the development of a novel photonics technological platform based on metal-halide perovskite semiconductors. These materials present unrivalled optoelectronic properties and can be engineered to achieve a large set of desirable functionalities which may change the roadmap of currently established photonic technologies. They also show great promise for their integration with silicon photonics and silicon-oxynitride-based photonics. The programme will expose 14 early-stage researchers to a wide spectrum of research activities including material synthesis, photonic (and optoelectronic) device and integrated circuit fabrication, characterisation, modelling, upscaling and manufacturing. PERSEPHONe will lay the foundation for a novel photonic technology, strengthening Europe’s position in the field.
Nebula 
NEBULA (Neuro-augmented 112Gbaud CMOS plasmonic transceiver platform for Intra- and Inter-DCI applications) is a 3-year collaborative project on the development of a neuro-augmented 112Gbaud CMOS plasmonic transceiver platform for Intra- and Inter- DCI applications that brings together twelve leading academic and research institutes and companies. NEBULA aims to provide the foundations for a common future-proof transceiver technology platform with ultra-high bandwidth capabilities offered by a CMOS compatible toolkit and tailored towards meeting performance, cost and energy metrics in both inter-DCI coherent and intra-DCI ASIC co-packaged optics. NEBULA will be investing in the established bandwidth- and energy saving credentials of plasmonic modulator solutions together with the functional digital processing portfolio of neuromorphic optical reservoir computing engines towards painting the landscape of the next-coming disruption in transceiver evolution, tailoring them in System-in-Package prototype assemblies that can intersect with the challenging framework of both inter- and intra-DCI segments. The project was launched in Januray 2020 and it is funded by the European Commission through HORIZON 2020 framework targeting the topic ICT-05-2019: Application driven Photonics components.
Super Pixels
We observe the world around us predominantly through the measurement of optical intensity. Although powerful, this leaves the other fundamental optical degrees of freedom, phase and polarisation massively under-utilised. Our tendency to solely use intensity results from the static sensor technology that is available, which offer very limited ability to dynamically reconfigure their function or perform any optical processing. In SuperPixels we will co-develop a new integrated sensor platform that will revolutionise the way we process light to allow the full utilisation of its fundamental properties. Redefining the core functionality of our sensor technology will radically impact the technology that is deployed in a broad spectrum of cross-disciplinary areas such as nano-particle detection, compact atmospheric corrected imaging systems, endoscopy, coherent communications and on-chip processing of structured light. This vision will be enabled by a compact and multi-functional photonic integrated chip that would be installed into phones, microscopes, cameras, communication and environmental monitoring systems, becoming a central part of the way we collect and process optical information.
READY
Ready is a regional network for the development of diagnostic methods in rapid response to emergent epidemics and bioemergencies. The aim is to contrast the diffusion of parasitic and viral pathologies, once defined as tropical, also in non endemic geographic areas. Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika virus, but also malaria and Chagas disease are circulating more and more due to migration flows, international travels and climate changes that allow parasites or vectors to live and adapt in new places. READy will introduce the most advanced biochemical tools for the development and the production of new immuno-diagnostic methods. In this framework we will design and develop new methodologies to exploit the biosensing efficiency of integrated optical chips suitable for a large variety of biomolecules. The new microchips, matched with an ad-hoc engineerization of electronics and microfluidics systems and the state-of-the-art active molecule-labelling technology, will provide a reliable and seconds-fast detection and quantitation of DNA, peptides, proteins and antibodies and are meant to be used for rapid diagnostic tests by non expert users at the hospital laboratories on patients’ samples.