ImPhys to coordinate large new public private research programme SYNOPTICS

News - 16 November 2018 - Communication ImPhys

The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) has announced which new research programmes may start in the so-called 'Perspective for the Top Sectors' programme. A total of six public-private programmes will receive about 28 million euros. The project is about achieving higher resolution and sensitivity in optical devices.

More insight from light
Synoptic Optics (SYNOPTICS)

A dramatic increase in the resolution and sensitivity of instruments has long been the holy grail of optics. Higher resolution and sensitivity will among other things make it possible to detect very small particles in high-tech manufacturing processes and enable 3D imaging of minor manufacturing faults in the semiconductor industry. Improvements in this field are also important in food safety and for monitoring air pollution caused by tiny particles and gases, both from the earth and from satellites.

Traditionally, only one or two properties of light are often measured, for example the intensity (amplitude) and polarisation.The SYNOPTICS Consortium intends to make use of all of light’s properties: amplitude, phase, polarisation and several wavelengths, in order to collect more and better information. A focus of the SYNOPTICS research will therefore involve realising a new optical source based on 'dual-frequency combs'. These frequency combs consists of several thousand lasers and can enable the parallel (and therefore very rapid) measurement of amplitude, phase and polarisation of thousands of wavelengths in all pixels of the detector. In order to filter out the essential information from the large data streams that this project will produce, the consortium intends to apply compressed sensing combined with smart algorithms based on artificial intelligence and neural networks.

The Dutch Optics Centre (DOC) played an important role in bringing about this consortium. DOC is an initiative of three of TU Delft’s faculties (Applied Sciences, 3mE and Aerospace Engineering) and TNO that aims to encourage research & development in optics and the valorisation of optics research in the Netherlands.

Programme leader: Prof. dr. H.P. Urbach (TU Delft)
Participants: Airbus, Bronkhorst, Cosine, Demcon, Grass Valley, Holoeye, Holst Centre, KNMI, Lionix, MenloSystems, Nexperia, Radboud University, Settels Savenije, Sioux, TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, TNO, Leiden University, Twente University, Utrecht University, VDL, VSL

ImPhys PI's involved in this project:

Watch the video for an overview of the projects: 

NWO en bedrijfsleven investeren 28 miljoen euro in zes nieuwe Perspectief-programma's