Lasers are a ubiquitous technology in optical communication, sensors, LiDAR or emerging quantum science and technology. Yet, the principles by which lasers are manufactured have remarkably not changed since the invention of the laser: they are assembled by hand, using bulk components or optical fibers. While integrated lasers based on silicon photonics exist, they do not challenge such high performance legacy lasers systems. FORTE will change this notion. Building on a recent breakthrough in the field of low loss integrated photonics it is today possible to create lasers that are low cost, wafer scale manufacturable that have better performance that the fiber laser the workhorse of fiber sensing and gold standard in coherence. The overarching ambition of this EIC transition project is to develop a prototype and mature photonic integrated circuit-based frequency-agile ultra-low noise laser technology, and apply it to the domain of fiber sensing and FMCW LiDAR, and to develop a scalable manufacturing. The unique selling points (USP) of the platform are that it is based on photonic integrated circuit technology that is scalable, flexible, reconfigurable, and extremely high performance in terms of optical coherence and frequency-agility. The technology is based on a patented approach that combines ultra-low loss photonic integrated circuits based on silicon nitride, with MEMS technology, as used in wireless technology. The approach addresses the need for low-noise laser sources in multiple domains of photonic sensing including distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) and coherent laser ranging (FMCW LiDAR). The consortium includes companies in fiber sensing, LiDAR as well as in the development of industrial manufacturing tools. The results will be commercialized by the involvement of SME in fiber sensing, and a dedicated startup to bring hybrid integrated frequency agile low noise lasers to the market.

The Skyrmionic Artificial Neural Network (SkyANN) presents a groundbreaking paradigm for neuromorphic computing, closely emulating brain neurophysiology by combining skyrmionic quasiparticles, which mimic neurotransmitters and facilitate complex computations at the synapse level, with electrical CMOS connections that simulate the propagation of action potentials among neurons for rapid and dense inter-layer connectivity. Our innovative magneto-electric devices aim to achieve energy consumption four orders of magnitude lower than CMOS technology and double the bandwidth for the same device footprint, enhancing edge inference and learning capabilities. This approach challenges contemporary neural networks implemented with CMOS digital, mixed-signal, and emerging in-memory computing technologies, which are limited by lower energy efficiency and reliability. Building on preliminary results from SkyANN partners, we plan an ambitious endeavor to develop a first-of-its-kind magneto-electric neural network, showcasing the promising potential of this novel technology. Along the way, we will refine materials, processes, design methodologies, and architectures to prepare the European micro- and nano-electronics ecosystem for the future, while supporting the EU's Green Deal vision. Our well-balanced consortium brings together complementary expertise and extensive knowledge, spanning from device physics to circuits and architectures across multiple layers of design abstraction. As a result, the SkyANN consortium is poised to facilitate the rapid transfer of fundamental discoveries to relevant industrial stakeholders, accelerating impact and reinforcing European strengths in the economically, geopolitically, and socially vital semiconductor sector.

Transparent ferroelectric oxide crystal with a strong 2nd-order optical nonlinearity are a paramount building block for electro-optical and nonlinear photonics bridging the electromagnetic spectrum from electrostatics and THz fields to optical frequencies. Currently, smart-cut ferroelectric thin films such are revolutionizing integrated photonics, overcoming the traditional limitations of bulk lithium niobate and silicon-on-insulator photonic integrated circuits such as low power efficiency and speed. Despite more than half a decade of tremendous scientific progress in the field, predominately using lithium niobate thin films, many technological and commercial hurdles have emerged compounding their adoption. The goal of ELLIPTIC is to overcome these limitations and to close the technology gaps that are still inherent to photonic integrated circuits based on ferroelectric thin films. LTOI will open new paradigm for nonlinear integrated photonics, based on its unique properties, such as a high optical damage threshold, reduced photorefractive effect, ultra-low optical and microwave loss and low birefringence. Moreover, LTOI leverages the existing micro-electronic manufacturing infrastructure due to its widespread adoption for 5G cellular signal filters. We will demonstrate the transformative potential of the LTOI platform for applications across various domains including optical and millimeter-wave communications, signal processing, metrology, frequency-comb generation, and quantum technologies, such as the transduction of quantum signals between superconducting microwave devices and optical fibers. The development of an process design kit (PDK) will democratize access to the technology for academia and the R&D communities.

The De-RISC project addresses computer systems within the space and aviation domains. De-RISC – Dependable Real-time Infrastructure for Safety-critical Computer – is a proposed project where an international consortium will introduce a hardware and software platform based around the RISC-V ISA. The work proposed in this project is to productize a multi-core RISC-V system-on-chip design already owned by CG and to port the XtratuM hypervisor owned by FEN to that design to create a full platform consisting of hardware and software for future European developments within space and aeronautical applications. De-RISC brings critical features to the market that make it unique in front of the competition: (1) No US export restrictions: most existing products use US technology, thus subject to US export control. De-RISC’s IP core platform and software will not be subject to any US regulatory influence by building on RISC-V. (2) Multi-core interference mitigation concepts by BSC integrated in the RISC-V SoC and validated by TRT become a unique feature, and will provide a key advantage w.r.t. competitors by limiting drastically interference while preserving high-performance operation. (3) Portability: The proposed development will create a RISC-V HW/SW platform that can be implemented in FPGAs and application specific standard products. This provides an edge for integrators that can adapt their choice of implementation technology based on mission requirements. (4) Fault-tolerance concepts: The platform will be provided by companies with experience in the space domain and with heritage in design of fault-tolerant systems. (5) Future-proof selection for new platforms: New software products are not being ported to SPARC and PowerPC architectures. With an established vendor providing a RISC-V platform there are guarantees of continued support for the hardware platform while developments from the commercial domain for the RISC-V architecture can be leveraged over time.