News

New paper in ACS Photonics

Single-Photon Level Dispersive Fourier Transform: 

Ultrasensitive Characterization of Noise-Driven Nonlinear Dynamics

Our latest work with the team of Michael Kues (Leibniz University Hannover) is online, and featured in Cover of the ACS Photonics Issue of November 2023.

In this paper, we leverage quantum-inspired dispersive Fourier transform to characterize ultrafast spectral fluctuations with great sensitivity (< fW), high spectral resolution (~50 pm), and excellent dynamic range (up to ~80dB).

A great way to analyze and push forward the study of nonlinear instabilities and incoherent processes in photonics with improved performances. 

See the full article in ACS Photonics (2023)

ERC Starting Grant 2020 awarded

The project STREAMLINE was selected for funding by the ERC

Founded in 2007, the European Research Council (ERC) funds innovative exploratory projects that are likely to generate scientific, technological or societal progress. Evaluated by international experts, the ERC awards individual research grants to scientists based on scientific excellence as sole selection criterion. 

The ERC Starting Grant applies to young researchers (2 to 7 years following completion of a Ph.D) for projects allocated for up to 5 years and with a budget up to 1.5 million euros. In 2020, the success rate of ERC Starting Grant was 13.3%, with recipients spanning 40 nationalities and 25 countries across Europe. In France, 38 projects were selected this year within the total of 3272 proposals received for all disciplines.

See the detailed STREAMLINE project factsheet

See examples of projects selected for funding and key facts for the ERC Starting Grant 2020.

Learn more about the ERC and the Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020.

Smart phoTonic souRces harnEssing Advanced Multidimensional Light optimization towards machIne-learNing-Enhanced imaging  (STREAMLINE)

Modern photonic systems increasingly rely on complex nonlinear optical processes at the foundation of demanding applications spanning advanced light source development, metrology and imaging. Importantly, current flagship imaging systems are based on nonlinear light-matter interactions provided by specialized lasers requiring complex operation and lacking flexibility: means of controlling nonlinear phenomena and interactions are restricted, and reaching the ideal settings for a specific application can prove extremely challenging.

In this context, optical excitations can be inefficient (with e.g. excessive power or spectral coverage) and versatile means to drive coherent control of light properties are highly sought-after, for they provide the main building blocks for advanced imaging techniques. However, such control is currently constrained to few degrees of freedom provided by complex components ultimately hindering the accessible optical parameter space. The realization of versatile, efficient and practical optical sources in compact forms would thus represent a fundamental revolution.

STREAMLINE constitutes an ambitious multidisciplinary program aiming to push forwards the development of 'smart photonic sources' for the creation of a promising new research field merging ultrafast nonlinear optics and computational imaging.

The envisioned architecture, combining integrated and fibered components, will explore new multimode and input-dependent nonlinear dynamics via dedicated machine-learning schemes

Together with suitable monitoring techniques, fully reconfigurable and tailored optical wavepackets (with ‘on-demand’ spectral, temporal and spatial properties), will be exploited towards disruptive nonlinear imaging and metrology techniques. Besides providing user-friendly operation with improved performances, blueprint dynamical imaging with custom light-matter interactions is expected to unlock access to novel deep-learning strategies towards biological sample histology.

Stay tuned for upcoming PostDoc and PhD positions in 2021 !

Optics & Photonics News: Optics in 2019

Light-Guiding in Red Blood Cell Suspensions

Our recent results showing tunable waveguiding effect and the deep penetration of light in red blood cell suspensions were featured in Optics & Photonics News - Optics in 2019 (OSA). This special issue of Optics & Photonics News (OSA), highlights exciting peer-reviewed optics research that has emerged over the past year.  

See the highlight article (and video) in OPN - Optics in 2019.

See the full article in Light: Science & Applications (2019)

European Researchers' Night 2019

Animation - "Science & Sport" Escape Game

In September, we took part in this European Union initiative through the organization of an Escape Game. We received over 200 participants of various horizons (highschool students, families, etc...) trying to investigate the clues left in the room...

Come back in 2020 for a new version !