New Dutch Institute to Focus on Next-Gen Photonics and Quantum Technology

(LaserFocusWorld) the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e; Eindhoven, Netherlands) has established a new institute to create a unique and optimal environment to enable photonics and quantum technologies to grow synergetically. The new institute, named the Eindhoven Hendrik Casimir Institute (EHCI), was officially launched on September 6, 2021, by Robbert Dijkgraaf during the opening of the academic year.
The EHCI is named after Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimir (1909 – 2000), who is most famous for his work on superconductivity and quantum physics, most notably the Casimir effect—the phenomenon where two plates placed very close to each other subtly attract each other due to quantum fluctuations. This is analogous to how the two research fields underpinning the institute will be working close together.
The new institute will ‘entangle’ two major technology fields: the superfast light-driven communication technology of photonics and the powerful calculation capabilities of quantum technology. These technology fields hold great promise in overcoming the limits that current computation and communication technologies.
Both technologies are world-class in Eindhoven, illustrated by recent multimillion funds from the PhotonDelta and Groeifonds projects. The work at EHCI will be done at various hierarchical levels, from groundbreaking science in materials, via novel devices and innovative circuits, to disruptive systems that will shape our future world. This approach, already applied at TU/e to bring integrated photonics technology from the lab to real-world applications, will also be used for quantum technology and other emerging information technologies.