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(-) Remove <label class='research-domain' title='Systems and Communication Engineering'>PE7 (72)</label> filter PE7 (72)
Project acronym 321
Project from Cubic To Linear complexity in computational electromagnetics
Researcher (PI) Francesco Paolo ANDRIULLI
Host Institution (HI) POLITECNICO DI TORINO
Call Details Consolidator Grant (CoG), PE7, ERC-2016-COG
Summary Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) is the scientific field at the origin of all new modeling and simulation tools required by the constantly arising design challenges of emerging and future technologies in applied electromagnetics. As in many other technological fields, however, the trend in all emerging technologies in electromagnetic engineering is going towards miniaturized, higher density and multi-scale scenarios. Computationally speaking this translates in the steep increase of the number of degrees of freedom. Given that the design cost (the cost of a multi-right-hand side problem dominated by matrix inversion) can scale as badly as cubically with these degrees of freedom, this fact, as pointed out by many, will sensibly compromise the practical impact of CEM on future and emerging technologies. For this reason, the CEM scientific community has been looking for years for a FFT-like paradigm shift: a dynamic fast direct solver providing a design cost that would scale only linearly with the degrees of freedom. Such a fast solver is considered today a Holy Grail of the discipline. The Grand Challenge of 321 will be to tackle this Holy Grail in Computational Electromagnetics by investigating a dynamic Fast Direct Solver for Maxwell Problems that would run in a linear-instead-of-cubic complexity for an arbitrary number and configuration of degrees of freedom. The failure of all previous attempts will be overcome by a game-changing transformation of the CEM classical problem that will leverage on a recent breakthrough of the PI. Starting from this, the project will investigate an entire new paradigm for impacting algorithms to achieve this grand challenge. The impact of the FFT's quadratic-to-linear paradigm shift shows how computational complexity reductions can be groundbreaking on applications. The cubic-to-linear paradigm shift, which the 321 project will aim for, will have such a rupturing impact on electromagnetic science and technology.
Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) is the scientific field at the origin of all new modeling and simulation tools required by the constantly arising design challenges of emerging and future technologies in applied electromagnetics. As in many other technological fields, however, the trend in all emerging technologies in electromagnetic engineering is going towards miniaturized, higher density and multi-scale scenarios. Computationally speaking this translates in the steep increase of the number of degrees of freedom. Given that the design cost (the cost of a multi-right-hand side problem dominated by matrix inversion) can scale as badly as cubically with these degrees of freedom, this fact, as pointed out by many, will sensibly compromise the practical impact of CEM on future and emerging technologies. For this reason, the CEM scientific community has been looking for years for a FFT-like paradigm shift: a dynamic fast direct solver providing a design cost that would scale only linearly with the degrees of freedom. Such a fast solver is considered today a Holy Grail of the discipline. The Grand Challenge of 321 will be to tackle this Holy Grail in Computational Electromagnetics by investigating a dynamic Fast Direct Solver for Maxwell Problems that would run in a linear-instead-of-cubic complexity for an arbitrary number and configuration of degrees of freedom. The failure of all previous attempts will be overcome by a game-changing transformation of the CEM classical problem that will leverage on a recent breakthrough of the PI. Starting from this, the project will investigate an entire new paradigm for impacting algorithms to achieve this grand challenge. The impact of the FFT's quadratic-to-linear paradigm shift shows how computational complexity reductions can be groundbreaking on applications. The cubic-to-linear paradigm shift, which the 321 project will aim for, will have such a rupturing impact on electromagnetic science and technology.
Project acronym 3D-CAP
Project 3D micro-supercapacitors for embedded electronics
Researcher (PI) David Sarinn PECH
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Summary The realization of high-performance micro-supercapacitors is currently a big challenge but the ineluctable applications requiring such miniaturized energy storage devices are continuously emerging, from wearable electronic gadgets to wireless sensor networks. Although they store less energy than micro-batteries, micro-supercapacitors can be charged and discharged very rapidly and exhibit a quasi-unlimited lifetime. The global scientific research is consequently largely focused on the improvement of their capacitance and energetic performances. However, to date, they are still far from being able to power sensors or electronic components. Here I propose a 3D paradigm shift of micro-supercapacitor design to ensure increased energy storage capacities. Hydrous ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a pseudocapacitive material for supercapacitor electrode well-known for its high capacitance. A thin-film of ruthenium will be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), followed by an electrochemical oxidation process, onto a high-surface-area 3D current collector prepared via an ingenious dynamic template built with hydrogen bubbles. The structural features of these 3D architectures will be controllably tailored by the processing methodologies. These electrodes will be combined with an innovative electrolyte in solid form (a protic ionogel) able to operate over an extended cell voltage. In a parallel investigation, we will develop a fundamental understanding of electrochemical reactions occurring at the nanoscale with a FIB-patterned (Focused Ion Beam) RuO2 nano-supercapacitor. The resulting 3D micro-supercapacitors should display extremely high power, long lifetime and – for the first time – energy densities competing or even exceeding that of micro-batteries. As a key achievement, prototypes will be designed using a new concept based on a self-adaptative micro-supercapacitors matrix, which arranges itself according to the global amount of energy stored.
The realization of high-performance micro-supercapacitors is currently a big challenge but the ineluctable applications requiring such miniaturized energy storage devices are continuously emerging, from wearable electronic gadgets to wireless sensor networks. Although they store less energy than micro-batteries, micro-supercapacitors can be charged and discharged very rapidly and exhibit a quasi-unlimited lifetime. The global scientific research is consequently largely focused on the improvement of their capacitance and energetic performances. However, to date, they are still far from being able to power sensors or electronic components. Here I propose a 3D paradigm shift of micro-supercapacitor design to ensure increased energy storage capacities. Hydrous ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is a pseudocapacitive material for supercapacitor electrode well-known for its high capacitance. A thin-film of ruthenium will be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), followed by an electrochemical oxidation process, onto a high-surface-area 3D current collector prepared via an ingenious dynamic template built with hydrogen bubbles. The structural features of these 3D architectures will be controllably tailored by the processing methodologies. These electrodes will be combined with an innovative electrolyte in solid form (a protic ionogel) able to operate over an extended cell voltage. In a parallel investigation, we will develop a fundamental understanding of electrochemical reactions occurring at the nanoscale with a FIB-patterned (Focused Ion Beam) RuO2 nano-supercapacitor. The resulting 3D micro-supercapacitors should display extremely high power, long lifetime and – for the first time – energy densities competing or even exceeding that of micro-batteries. As a key achievement, prototypes will be designed using a new concept based on a self-adaptative micro-supercapacitors matrix, which arranges itself according to the global amount of energy stored.
Project acronym AMPHIBIANS
Project All Optical Manipulation of Photonic Metasurfaces for Biophotonic Applications in Microfluidic Environments
Researcher (PI) Andrea DI FALCO
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
Summary The current trend in biophotonics is to try and replicate the same ease and precision that our hands, eyes and ears offer at the macroscopic level, e.g. to hold, observe, squeeze and pull, rotate, cut and probe biological specimens in microfluidic environments. The bidding to get closer and closer to the object of interest has prompted the development of extremely advanced manipulation techniques at scales comparable to that of the wavelength of light. However, the fact that the optical beam can only access the microfluidic chip from the narrow aperture of a microscopic objective limits the versatility of the photonic function that can be realized. With this project, the applicant proposes to introduce a new biophotonic platform based on the all optical manipulation of flexible photonic metasurfaces. These artificial two-dimensional materials have virtually arbitrary photonic responses and have an intrinsic exceptional mechanical stability. This cross-disciplinary project, bridging photonics, material sciences and biology, will enable the adoption of the most modern and advanced photonic designs in microfluidic environments, with transformative benefits for microscopy and biophotonic applications at the interface of molecular and cell biology.
The current trend in biophotonics is to try and replicate the same ease and precision that our hands, eyes and ears offer at the macroscopic level, e.g. to hold, observe, squeeze and pull, rotate, cut and probe biological specimens in microfluidic environments. The bidding to get closer and closer to the object of interest has prompted the development of extremely advanced manipulation techniques at scales comparable to that of the wavelength of light. However, the fact that the optical beam can only access the microfluidic chip from the narrow aperture of a microscopic objective limits the versatility of the photonic function that can be realized. With this project, the applicant proposes to introduce a new biophotonic platform based on the all optical manipulation of flexible photonic metasurfaces. These artificial two-dimensional materials have virtually arbitrary photonic responses and have an intrinsic exceptional mechanical stability. This cross-disciplinary project, bridging photonics, material sciences and biology, will enable the adoption of the most modern and advanced photonic designs in microfluidic environments, with transformative benefits for microscopy and biophotonic applications at the interface of molecular and cell biology.
Project acronym APOLLO
Project Advanced Signal Processing Technologies for Wireless Powered Communications
Researcher (PI) Ioannis Krikidis
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS
Summary Wireless power transfer (WPT), pioneered by Tesla, is an idea at least as old as radio communications. However, on the one hand, due to health concerns and the large antenna dimensions required for transmission of high energy levels, until recently WPT has been limited mostly to very short distance applications. On the other hand, recent advances in silicon technology have significantly reduced the energy needs of electronic systems, making WPT over radio waves a potential source of energy for low power devices. Although WPT through radio waves has already found various short-range applications (such as the radio-frequency identification technology, healthcare monitoring etc.), its integration as a building block in the operation of wireless communications systems is still unexploited. On the other hand, conventional radio wave based information and energy transmissions have largely been designed separately. However, many applications can benefit from simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). The overall objective of the APOLLO project is to study the integration of WPT/SWIPT technology into future wireless communication systems. Compared to past and current research efforts in this area, our technical approach is deeply interdisciplinary and more comprehensive, combining the expertise of wireless communications, control theory, information theory, optimization, and electronics/microwave engineering. The key outcomes of the project include: 1) a rigorous and complete mathematical theory for WPT/SWIPT via information/communication/control theoretic studies; 2) new physical and cross-layer mechanisms that will enable the integration of WPT/SWIPT into future communication systems; 3) new network architectures that will fully exploit potential benefits of WPT/SWIPT; and 4) development of a proof-of-concept by implementing highly-efficient and multi-band metamaterial energy harvesting sensors for SWIPT.
Wireless power transfer (WPT), pioneered by Tesla, is an idea at least as old as radio communications. However, on the one hand, due to health concerns and the large antenna dimensions required for transmission of high energy levels, until recently WPT has been limited mostly to very short distance applications. On the other hand, recent advances in silicon technology have significantly reduced the energy needs of electronic systems, making WPT over radio waves a potential source of energy for low power devices. Although WPT through radio waves has already found various short-range applications (such as the radio-frequency identification technology, healthcare monitoring etc.), its integration as a building block in the operation of wireless communications systems is still unexploited. On the other hand, conventional radio wave based information and energy transmissions have largely been designed separately. However, many applications can benefit from simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). The overall objective of the APOLLO project is to study the integration of WPT/SWIPT technology into future wireless communication systems. Compared to past and current research efforts in this area, our technical approach is deeply interdisciplinary and more comprehensive, combining the expertise of wireless communications, control theory, information theory, optimization, and electronics/microwave engineering. The key outcomes of the project include: 1) a rigorous and complete mathematical theory for WPT/SWIPT via information/communication/control theoretic studies; 2) new physical and cross-layer mechanisms that will enable the integration of WPT/SWIPT into future communication systems; 3) new network architectures that will fully exploit potential benefits of WPT/SWIPT; and 4) development of a proof-of-concept by implementing highly-efficient and multi-band metamaterial energy harvesting sensors for SWIPT.
Project acronym BNYQ
Project Breaking the Nyquist Barrier: A New Paradigm in Data Conversion and Transmission
Researcher (PI) Yonina Eldar
Host Institution (HI) TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Summary Digital signal processing (DSP) is a revolutionary paradigm shift enabling processing of physical data in the digital domain where design and implementation are considerably simplified. However, state-of-the-art analog-to-digital convertors (ADCs) preclude high-rate wideband sampling and processing with low cost and energy consumption, presenting a major bottleneck. This is mostly due to a traditional assumption that sampling must be performed at the Nyquist rate, that is, twice the signal bandwidth. Modern applications including communications, medical imaging, radar and more use signals with high bandwidth, resulting in prohibitively large Nyquist rates. Our ambitious goal is to introduce a paradigm shift in ADC design that will enable systems capable of low-rate, wideband sensing and low-rate DSP. While DSP has a rich history in exploiting structure to reduce dimensionality and perform efficient parameter extraction, current ADCs do not exploit such knowledge. We challenge current practice that separates the sampling stage from the processing stage and exploit structure in analog signals already in the ADC, to drastically reduce the sampling and processing rates. Our preliminary data shows that this allows substantial savings in sampling and processing rates --- we show rate reduction of 1/28 in ultrasound imaging, and 1/30 in radar detection. To achieve our overreaching goal we focus on three interconnected objectives -- developing the 1) theory 2) hardware and 3) applications of sub-Nyquist sampling. Our methodology ties together two areas on the frontier of signal processing: compressed sensing (CS), focused on finite length vectors, and analog sampling. Our research plan also inherently relies on advances in several other important areas within signal processing and combines multi-disciplinary research at the intersection of signal processing, information theory, optimization, estimation theory and hardware design.
Digital signal processing (DSP) is a revolutionary paradigm shift enabling processing of physical data in the digital domain where design and implementation are considerably simplified. However, state-of-the-art analog-to-digital convertors (ADCs) preclude high-rate wideband sampling and processing with low cost and energy consumption, presenting a major bottleneck. This is mostly due to a traditional assumption that sampling must be performed at the Nyquist rate, that is, twice the signal bandwidth. Modern applications including communications, medical imaging, radar and more use signals with high bandwidth, resulting in prohibitively large Nyquist rates. Our ambitious goal is to introduce a paradigm shift in ADC design that will enable systems capable of low-rate, wideband sensing and low-rate DSP. While DSP has a rich history in exploiting structure to reduce dimensionality and perform efficient parameter extraction, current ADCs do not exploit such knowledge. We challenge current practice that separates the sampling stage from the processing stage and exploit structure in analog signals already in the ADC, to drastically reduce the sampling and processing rates. Our preliminary data shows that this allows substantial savings in sampling and processing rates --- we show rate reduction of 1/28 in ultrasound imaging, and 1/30 in radar detection. To achieve our overreaching goal we focus on three interconnected objectives -- developing the 1) theory 2) hardware and 3) applications of sub-Nyquist sampling. Our methodology ties together two areas on the frontier of signal processing: compressed sensing (CS), focused on finite length vectors, and analog sampling. Our research plan also inherently relies on advances in several other important areas within signal processing and combines multi-disciplinary research at the intersection of signal processing, information theory, optimization, estimation theory and hardware design.
Project acronym BrightEyes
Project Multi-Parameter Live-Cell Observation of Biomolecular Processes with Single-Photon Detector Array
Researcher (PI) Giuseppe Vicidomini
Host Institution (HI) FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA
Summary Fluorescence single-molecule (SM) detection techniques have the potential to provide insights into the complex functions, structures and interactions of individual, specifically labelled biomolecules. However, current SM techniques work properly only when the biomolecule is observed in controlled environments, e.g., immobilized on a glass surface. Observation of biomolecular processes in living (multi)cellular environments – which is fundamental for sound biological conclusion – always comes with a price, such as invasiveness, limitations in the accessible information and constraints in the spatial and temporal scales. The overall objective of the BrightEyes project is to break the above limitations by creating a novel SM approach compatible with the state-of-the-art biomolecule-labelling protocols, able to track a biomolecule deep inside (multi)cellular environments – with temporal resolution in the microsecond scale, and with hundreds of micrometres tracking range – and simultaneously observe its structural changes, its nano- and micro-environments. Specifically, by exploring a novel single-photon detectors array, the BrightEyes project will implement an optical system, able to continuously (i) track in real-time the biomolecule of interest from which to decode its dynamics and interactions; (ii) measure the nano-environment fluorescence spectroscopy properties, such as lifetime, photon-pair correlation and intensity, from which to extract the biochemical properties of the nano-environment, the structural properties of the biomolecule – via SM-FRET and anti-bunching – and the interactions of the biomolecule with other biomolecular species – via STED-FCS; (iii) visualize the sub-cellular structures within the micro-environment with sub-diffraction spatial resolution – via STED and image scanning microscopy. This unique paradigm will enable unprecedented studies of biomolecular behaviours, interactions and self-organization at near-physiological conditions.
Fluorescence single-molecule (SM) detection techniques have the potential to provide insights into the complex functions, structures and interactions of individual, specifically labelled biomolecules. However, current SM techniques work properly only when the biomolecule is observed in controlled environments, e.g., immobilized on a glass surface. Observation of biomolecular processes in living (multi)cellular environments – which is fundamental for sound biological conclusion – always comes with a price, such as invasiveness, limitations in the accessible information and constraints in the spatial and temporal scales. The overall objective of the BrightEyes project is to break the above limitations by creating a novel SM approach compatible with the state-of-the-art biomolecule-labelling protocols, able to track a biomolecule deep inside (multi)cellular environments – with temporal resolution in the microsecond scale, and with hundreds of micrometres tracking range – and simultaneously observe its structural changes, its nano- and micro-environments. Specifically, by exploring a novel single-photon detectors array, the BrightEyes project will implement an optical system, able to continuously (i) track in real-time the biomolecule of interest from which to decode its dynamics and interactions; (ii) measure the nano-environment fluorescence spectroscopy properties, such as lifetime, photon-pair correlation and intensity, from which to extract the biochemical properties of the nano-environment, the structural properties of the biomolecule – via SM-FRET and anti-bunching – and the interactions of the biomolecule with other biomolecular species – via STED-FCS; (iii) visualize the sub-cellular structures within the micro-environment with sub-diffraction spatial resolution – via STED and image scanning microscopy. This unique paradigm will enable unprecedented studies of biomolecular behaviours, interactions and self-organization at near-physiological conditions.
Project acronym CaLA
Project The Capillary Lock Actuator: A novel bistable microfluidic actuator for cost-effective high-density actuator arrays suitable for large-scale graphical tactile displays
Researcher (PI) Bastian Rapp
Host Institution (HI) ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG
Summary According to the World Health Organization more than 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. In a world where graphics and online content (images, webpages) become increasingly important the inability to perceive information visually is the primary inhibitor for inclusion. In contrast to display technology for sighted people, tactile displays which translate text and graphics to touchable pixels (taxels) have seen little progress in recent decades. So-called Braille lines which display only a single line of text are still the norm. The reason why graphical tactile displays do not exist is the lack of a suitable actuator technology which allows generating massively parallelized individually addressable cost-effective taxel arrays. This ERC Consolidator project aims at a revolution in microactuator array technology with a fundamentally new concept termed the Capillary Lock Actuator (CaLA). CaLA is a novel bistable massively parallelizable microfluidic microactuator which overcomes many of the limitations currently associated with microactuators. It can be operated with low-voltage control signals and requires virtually no power for actuation. CaLA harnesses three concepts inherent to microfluidics: positive capillary pressure, segmented flow and controllable locally confined changes in wetting. The project will use CaLA actuator arrays for setting up the very first portable tactile graphic display with 30.000 individually addressable taxels thereby significantly outperforming the state-of-the-art. It will be based on manufacturing techniques for highly complex microstructures in glass invented by my group. CaLA will be a significant breakthrough in actuator technology and enabling for many applications in microsystem technology. Most importantly, it will be a significant step towards making the information technology inclusive for the visually impaired by providing the first robust cost-effective solution to large-scale tactile displays.
According to the World Health Organization more than 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. In a world where graphics and online content (images, webpages) become increasingly important the inability to perceive information visually is the primary inhibitor for inclusion. In contrast to display technology for sighted people, tactile displays which translate text and graphics to touchable pixels (taxels) have seen little progress in recent decades. So-called Braille lines which display only a single line of text are still the norm. The reason why graphical tactile displays do not exist is the lack of a suitable actuator technology which allows generating massively parallelized individually addressable cost-effective taxel arrays. This ERC Consolidator project aims at a revolution in microactuator array technology with a fundamentally new concept termed the Capillary Lock Actuator (CaLA). CaLA is a novel bistable massively parallelizable microfluidic microactuator which overcomes many of the limitations currently associated with microactuators. It can be operated with low-voltage control signals and requires virtually no power for actuation. CaLA harnesses three concepts inherent to microfluidics: positive capillary pressure, segmented flow and controllable locally confined changes in wetting. The project will use CaLA actuator arrays for setting up the very first portable tactile graphic display with 30.000 individually addressable taxels thereby significantly outperforming the state-of-the-art. It will be based on manufacturing techniques for highly complex microstructures in glass invented by my group. CaLA will be a significant breakthrough in actuator technology and enabling for many applications in microsystem technology. Most importantly, it will be a significant step towards making the information technology inclusive for the visually impaired by providing the first robust cost-effective solution to large-scale tactile displays.
Project acronym CHIC
Project On CHip terahertz frequency Combs
Researcher (PI) Giacomo Scalari
Host Institution (HI) EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Summary The terahertz (THz) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is the junction between optics and electronics. THz is a gate to sensing applications and spectroscopy as well as appealing for material inspection, non-invasive imaging for safety and medical applications and short-range high data rate wireless communication which are being extended to higher frequencies entering the THz range. Optical frequency combs have dominated the scene of laser physics in the last 10 years revolutionizing many fields of optics from metrology to high precision spectroscopy. Optical frequency combs act as rulers in the frequency domain and are characterized by their perfectly equally spaced and coherent modes. An extremely appealing application of optical frequency combs is the so-called dual-comb spectroscopy where multi-heterodyne detection is performed allowing Fourier transform spectroscopy with high resolution, high sensitivity and no moving parts. The objective of this proposal is to create on-chip, self-referenced frequency combs operating in the spectral region from 1.5-5-5 THz. Two main approaches will be followed: direct generation with THz QC lasers (cryogenically cooled) and room temperature non-linear generation by means of Mid-IR QCL combs. Such devices will be groundbreaking since they will allow high resolution THz spectroscopy and they will pave the way to high-rate local data transmission and coherent communication. We recently demonstrated octave spanning lasing from a THz QCL: this will constitute the foundation of our efforts. The developed combs will be implemented in the extremely powerful dual-comb scheme with innovative on-chip self-stabilization and detection of the multi-heterodyne signals. The self-referencing and the independence from an external detector makes the proposed devices disruptive due to their extreme compactness, intrinsic stability and large bandwidth.
The terahertz (THz) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is the junction between optics and electronics. THz is a gate to sensing applications and spectroscopy as well as appealing for material inspection, non-invasive imaging for safety and medical applications and short-range high data rate wireless communication which are being extended to higher frequencies entering the THz range. Optical frequency combs have dominated the scene of laser physics in the last 10 years revolutionizing many fields of optics from metrology to high precision spectroscopy. Optical frequency combs act as rulers in the frequency domain and are characterized by their perfectly equally spaced and coherent modes. An extremely appealing application of optical frequency combs is the so-called dual-comb spectroscopy where multi-heterodyne detection is performed allowing Fourier transform spectroscopy with high resolution, high sensitivity and no moving parts. The objective of this proposal is to create on-chip, self-referenced frequency combs operating in the spectral region from 1.5-5-5 THz. Two main approaches will be followed: direct generation with THz QC lasers (cryogenically cooled) and room temperature non-linear generation by means of Mid-IR QCL combs. Such devices will be groundbreaking since they will allow high resolution THz spectroscopy and they will pave the way to high-rate local data transmission and coherent communication. We recently demonstrated octave spanning lasing from a THz QCL: this will constitute the foundation of our efforts. The developed combs will be implemented in the extremely powerful dual-comb scheme with innovative on-chip self-stabilization and detection of the multi-heterodyne signals. The self-referencing and the independence from an external detector makes the proposed devices disruptive due to their extreme compactness, intrinsic stability and large bandwidth.
Project acronym COHERENCE
Project Exploiting light coherence in photoacoustic imaging
Researcher (PI) Emmanuel Bossy
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITE GRENOBLE ALPES
Summary Photoacoustic imaging is an emerging multi-wave imaging modality that couples light excitation to acoustic detection, via the photoacoustic effect (sound generation via light absorption). Photoacoustic imaging provides images of optical absorption (as opposed to optical scattering). In addition, as photoacoustic imaging relies on detecting ultrasound waves that are very weakly scattered in biological tissue, it provides acoustic-resolution images of optical absorption non-invasively at large depths (up to several cm), where purely optical techniques have a poor resolution because of multiple scattering. As for conventional purely optical approaches, optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy can also be performed non-invasively for shallow depth (< 1 mm), or invasively at depth by endoscopic approaches. However, photoacoustic imaging suffers several limitations. For imaging at greater depths, non-invasive photoacoustic imaging in the acoustic-resolution regime is limited by a depth-to-resolution ratio of about 100, because ultrasound attenuation increases with frequency. Optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscopy has very recently been introduced as a complementary approach, but is currently limited in terms of resolution (> 6 µm) and footprint (diameter > 2 mm). The overall objective of COHERENCE is to break the above limitations and reach diffraction-limited optical-resolution photoacoustic imaging at depth in tissue in vivo. To do so, the core concept of COHERENCE is to use and manipulate coherent light in photoacoustic imaging. Specifically, COHERENCE will develop novel methods based on speckle illumination, wavefront shaping and super-resolution imaging. COHERENCE will result in two prototypes for tissue imaging, an optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscope for minimally-invasive any-depth tissue imaging, and a non-invasive photoacoustic microscope with enhanced depth-to-resolution ratio, up to optical resolution in the multiply-scattered light regime.
Photoacoustic imaging is an emerging multi-wave imaging modality that couples light excitation to acoustic detection, via the photoacoustic effect (sound generation via light absorption). Photoacoustic imaging provides images of optical absorption (as opposed to optical scattering). In addition, as photoacoustic imaging relies on detecting ultrasound waves that are very weakly scattered in biological tissue, it provides acoustic-resolution images of optical absorption non-invasively at large depths (up to several cm), where purely optical techniques have a poor resolution because of multiple scattering. As for conventional purely optical approaches, optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy can also be performed non-invasively for shallow depth (< 1 mm), or invasively at depth by endoscopic approaches. However, photoacoustic imaging suffers several limitations. For imaging at greater depths, non-invasive photoacoustic imaging in the acoustic-resolution regime is limited by a depth-to-resolution ratio of about 100, because ultrasound attenuation increases with frequency. Optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscopy has very recently been introduced as a complementary approach, but is currently limited in terms of resolution (> 6 µm) and footprint (diameter > 2 mm). The overall objective of COHERENCE is to break the above limitations and reach diffraction-limited optical-resolution photoacoustic imaging at depth in tissue in vivo. To do so, the core concept of COHERENCE is to use and manipulate coherent light in photoacoustic imaging. Specifically, COHERENCE will develop novel methods based on speckle illumination, wavefront shaping and super-resolution imaging. COHERENCE will result in two prototypes for tissue imaging, an optical-resolution photoacoustic endoscope for minimally-invasive any-depth tissue imaging, and a non-invasive photoacoustic microscope with enhanced depth-to-resolution ratio, up to optical resolution in the multiply-scattered light regime.
Project acronym CONSYN
Project Contextualizing biomolecular circuit models for synthetic biology
Researcher (PI) Heinz KOEPPL
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DARMSTADT
Summary Synthetic biology is the bottom-up engineering of new molecular functionality inside a biological cell. Although it aims at a quantitative and compositional approach, most of today's implementations of synthetic circuits are based on inefficient trial-and-error runs. This approach to circuit design does not scale well with circuit complexity and is against the basic paradigm of synthetic biology. This unsatisfactory state of affairs is partly due to the lack of the right computational methodology that can support the quantitative characterization of circuits and their significant context dependency, i.e., their change in behavior upon interactions with the host machinery and with other circuit elements. CONSYN will contribute computational methodology to overcome the trial-and-error approach and to ultimately turn synthetic circuit design into a rational bottom-up process that heavily relies on computational analysis before any actual biomolecular implementation is considered. In order to achieve this goal, we will work on the following agenda: (i) develop biophysical and statistical models of biomolecular contexts into which the synthetic circuit or synthetic part can be embedded in silico; (ii) devise new statistical inference methods that can deliver accurate characterization of circuits and their context dependency by making use of cutting-edge single-cell experimental data; (iii) derive new context-insensitive circuit designs through in silico sensitivity analysis and application of filtering theory; (iv) optimize protocols and measurement infrastructure using model-based experimental design yielding a better circuit and context characterization; (v) experimentally build synthetic circuits in vivo and in cell-free systems in order to validate and bring to life the above theoretical investigations. We are in the unique position to also address (v) in-house due to the experimental wetlab facilities in our group.
Synthetic biology is the bottom-up engineering of new molecular functionality inside a biological cell. Although it aims at a quantitative and compositional approach, most of today's implementations of synthetic circuits are based on inefficient trial-and-error runs. This approach to circuit design does not scale well with circuit complexity and is against the basic paradigm of synthetic biology. This unsatisfactory state of affairs is partly due to the lack of the right computational methodology that can support the quantitative characterization of circuits and their significant context dependency, i.e., their change in behavior upon interactions with the host machinery and with other circuit elements. CONSYN will contribute computational methodology to overcome the trial-and-error approach and to ultimately turn synthetic circuit design into a rational bottom-up process that heavily relies on computational analysis before any actual biomolecular implementation is considered. In order to achieve this goal, we will work on the following agenda: (i) develop biophysical and statistical models of biomolecular contexts into which the synthetic circuit or synthetic part can be embedded in silico; (ii) devise new statistical inference methods that can deliver accurate characterization of circuits and their context dependency by making use of cutting-edge single-cell experimental data; (iii) derive new context-insensitive circuit designs through in silico sensitivity analysis and application of filtering theory; (iv) optimize protocols and measurement infrastructure using model-based experimental design yielding a better circuit and context characterization; (v) experimentally build synthetic circuits in vivo and in cell-free systems in order to validate and bring to life the above theoretical investigations. We are in the unique position to also address (v) in-house due to the experimental wetlab facilities in our group.
Project acronym CORNEA
Project Controlling evolutionary dynamics of networked autonomous agents
Researcher (PI) Ming CAO
Host Institution (HI) RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
Summary Large-scale technological, biological, economic, and social complex systems act as complex networks of interacting autonomous agents. Large numbers of interacting agents making self-interested decisions can result in highly complex, sometimes surprising, and often suboptimal, collective behaviors. Empowered by recent breakthroughs in data-driven cognitive learning technologies, networked agents collectively give rise to evolutionary dynamics that cannot be easily modeled, analysed and/or controlled using current systems and control theory. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new theoretical foundations to tackle the emerging challenging control problems associated with evolutionary dynamics for networked autonomous agents. The aim of this project is to develop a rigorous theory for the control of evolutionary dynamics so that interacting autonomous agents can be guided to solve group tasks through the pursuit of individual goals in an evolutionary dynamical process. The theory will then be tested, validated and improved against experimental results using robotic fish. To achieve the aim, I will: (1) develop a general formulation for stochastic evolutionary dynamics with control inputs, enabling the study on controllability and stabilizability for evolutionary processes; (2) introduce stochastic control Lyapunov functions to design control laws; (3) construct new classes of conditional strategies that may propagate controlled actions effectively from focal agents in multiple time scales; and (4) validate experimentally on tasks with unknown difficulties that require a group of robotic fish to evolve and adapt. The project will result in a major advance from the conventional usage of evolutionary game theory with the systematic design to actively control evolutionary outcomes. The combination of theory with experimentation and the multi-disciplinary nature of the approach will lead to new applications of autonomous robotic systems.
Large-scale technological, biological, economic, and social complex systems act as complex networks of interacting autonomous agents. Large numbers of interacting agents making self-interested decisions can result in highly complex, sometimes surprising, and often suboptimal, collective behaviors. Empowered by recent breakthroughs in data-driven cognitive learning technologies, networked agents collectively give rise to evolutionary dynamics that cannot be easily modeled, analysed and/or controlled using current systems and control theory. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop new theoretical foundations to tackle the emerging challenging control problems associated with evolutionary dynamics for networked autonomous agents. The aim of this project is to develop a rigorous theory for the control of evolutionary dynamics so that interacting autonomous agents can be guided to solve group tasks through the pursuit of individual goals in an evolutionary dynamical process. The theory will then be tested, validated and improved against experimental results using robotic fish. To achieve the aim, I will: (1) develop a general formulation for stochastic evolutionary dynamics with control inputs, enabling the study on controllability and stabilizability for evolutionary processes; (2) introduce stochastic control Lyapunov functions to design control laws; (3) construct new classes of conditional strategies that may propagate controlled actions effectively from focal agents in multiple time scales; and (4) validate experimentally on tasks with unknown difficulties that require a group of robotic fish to evolve and adapt. The project will result in a major advance from the conventional usage of evolutionary game theory with the systematic design to actively control evolutionary outcomes. The combination of theory with experimentation and the multi-disciplinary nature of the approach will lead to new applications of autonomous robotic systems.
Project acronym DarkComb
Project Dark-Soliton Engineering in Microresonator Frequency Combs
Researcher (PI) Victor TORRES COMPANY
Host Institution (HI) CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB
Summary The continuing increase in Internet data traffic is pushing the capacity of single-mode fiber to its fundamental limits. Space division multiplexing (SDM) offers the only remaining physical degree of freedom – the space dimension in the transmission channel – to substantially increase the capacity in lightwave communication systems. The microresonator comb is an emerging technology platform that enables the generation of an optical frequency comb in a micrometer-scale cavity. Its compact size and compatibility with established semiconductor fabrication techniques promises to revolutionize the fields of frequency synthesis and metrology, and create new mass-market applications. I envision significant scaling advantages in future fiber-optic communications by merging SDM with microresonator frequency combs. One major obstacle to overcome here is the poor conversion efficiency that can be fundamentally obtained using the most stable and broadest combs generated in microresonators today. I propose to look into the generation of dark, as opposed to bright, temporal solitons in linearly coupled microresonators. The goal is to achieve reliable microresonator combs with exceptionally high power conversion efficiency, resulting in optimal characteristics for SDM applications. The scientific and technological possibilities of this achievement promise significant impact beyond the realm of fiber-optic communications. My broad international experience, unique background in fiber communications, photonic waveguides and ultrafast photonics, the preliminary results of my group and the available infrastructure at my university place me in an outstanding position to pioneer this new direction of research.
The continuing increase in Internet data traffic is pushing the capacity of single-mode fiber to its fundamental limits. Space division multiplexing (SDM) offers the only remaining physical degree of freedom – the space dimension in the transmission channel – to substantially increase the capacity in lightwave communication systems. The microresonator comb is an emerging technology platform that enables the generation of an optical frequency comb in a micrometer-scale cavity. Its compact size and compatibility with established semiconductor fabrication techniques promises to revolutionize the fields of frequency synthesis and metrology, and create new mass-market applications. I envision significant scaling advantages in future fiber-optic communications by merging SDM with microresonator frequency combs. One major obstacle to overcome here is the poor conversion efficiency that can be fundamentally obtained using the most stable and broadest combs generated in microresonators today. I propose to look into the generation of dark, as opposed to bright, temporal solitons in linearly coupled microresonators. The goal is to achieve reliable microresonator combs with exceptionally high power conversion efficiency, resulting in optimal characteristics for SDM applications. The scientific and technological possibilities of this achievement promise significant impact beyond the realm of fiber-optic communications. My broad international experience, unique background in fiber communications, photonic waveguides and ultrafast photonics, the preliminary results of my group and the available infrastructure at my university place me in an outstanding position to pioneer this new direction of research.
Project acronym DBSModel
Project Multiscale Modelling of the Neuromuscular System for Closed Loop Deep Brain Stimulation
Researcher (PI) Madeleine Mary Lowery
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
Summary Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapy for treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite its success, the mechanisms of DBS are not understood and there is a need to improve DBS to improve long-term stimulation in a wider patient population, limit side-effects, and extend battery life. Currently DBS operates in 'open-loop', with stimulus parameters empirically set. Closed-loop DBS, which adjusts parameters based on the state of the system, has the potential to overcome current limitations to increase therapeutic efficacy while reducing side-effects, costs and energy. Several key questions need to be addressed before closed loop DBS can be implemented clinically. This research will develop a new multiscale model of the neuromuscular system for closed-loop DBS. The model will simulate neural sensing and stimulation on a scale not previously considered, encompassing the electric field around the electrode, the effect on individual neurons and neural networks, and generation of muscle force. This will involve integration across multiple temporal and spatial scales, in a complex system with incomplete knowledge of system variables. Experiments will be conducted to validate the model, and identify new biomarkers of neural activity that can used with signals from the brain to enable continuous symptom monitoring. The model will be used to design a new control strategy for closed-loop DBS that can accommodate the nonlinear nature of the system, and short- and long-term changes in system behavior. Though challenging, this research will provide new insights into the changes that take place in PD and the mechanisms by which DBS exerts its therapeutic influence. This knowledge will be used to design a new strategy for closed-loop DBS, ready for testing in patients, with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes in PD and fundamentally change the way in which implanted devices utilise electrical stimulation to modulate neural activity.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapy for treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite its success, the mechanisms of DBS are not understood and there is a need to improve DBS to improve long-term stimulation in a wider patient population, limit side-effects, and extend battery life. Currently DBS operates in 'open-loop', with stimulus parameters empirically set. Closed-loop DBS, which adjusts parameters based on the state of the system, has the potential to overcome current limitations to increase therapeutic efficacy while reducing side-effects, costs and energy. Several key questions need to be addressed before closed loop DBS can be implemented clinically. This research will develop a new multiscale model of the neuromuscular system for closed-loop DBS. The model will simulate neural sensing and stimulation on a scale not previously considered, encompassing the electric field around the electrode, the effect on individual neurons and neural networks, and generation of muscle force. This will involve integration across multiple temporal and spatial scales, in a complex system with incomplete knowledge of system variables. Experiments will be conducted to validate the model, and identify new biomarkers of neural activity that can used with signals from the brain to enable continuous symptom monitoring. The model will be used to design a new control strategy for closed-loop DBS that can accommodate the nonlinear nature of the system, and short- and long-term changes in system behavior. Though challenging, this research will provide new insights into the changes that take place in PD and the mechanisms by which DBS exerts its therapeutic influence. This knowledge will be used to design a new strategy for closed-loop DBS, ready for testing in patients, with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes in PD and fundamentally change the way in which implanted devices utilise electrical stimulation to modulate neural activity.
Project acronym DIDYMUS
Project MICROMACHINED OPTOMECHANICAL DEVICES: looking at cells, tissues, and organs ... with a gentle touch
Researcher (PI) Davide Iannuzzi
Host Institution (HI) STICHTING VU
Summary Every time we grab an object to look at its geometrical details or to feel if it is hard or soft, we are ineluctably confronted with the limits of our senses. Behind its appearances, the object may still hide information that, encrypted in its microscopic features, remains undetected to our macroscopic assessment. In life sciences, those limits are more than just frustrating: they are an obstacle to study and detect life threatening conditions. Many different instruments may overcome those limits, but the vast majority of them rely either on "sight" (optics) or "touch" (mechanics) separately. On the contrary, I believe that it is from the combination of those two "senses" that we have more chances to tackle the future challenges of cell biology, tissue engineering, and medical diagnosis. Inspired by this tantalizing perspective, and supported by a technology that I have brought from blackboard to market, I have now designed a scientific program to breach into the microscopic scale via an unbeaten path. The program develops along three projects addressing the three most relevant scales in life sciences: cells, tissues, and organs. In the first project, I will design and test a new optomechanical probe to investigate how a prolonged mechanical load on a brain cell of a living animal may trigger alterations in its Central Nervous System. With the second project, I will develop an optomechanical tactile instrument that can assess how subsurface tissues deform in response to a mechanical stroke – a study that may change the way physicians look at tissue classification. For the third project, I will deliver an acousto-optical gas trace sensors so compact that can penetrate inside the lungs of an adult patient, where it could be used for early detection of pulmonary life threatening diseases. Each project represents an opportunity to open an entire new field, where optics and micromechanics are combined to extend our senses well beyond their natural limits.
Every time we grab an object to look at its geometrical details or to feel if it is hard or soft, we are ineluctably confronted with the limits of our senses. Behind its appearances, the object may still hide information that, encrypted in its microscopic features, remains undetected to our macroscopic assessment. In life sciences, those limits are more than just frustrating: they are an obstacle to study and detect life threatening conditions. Many different instruments may overcome those limits, but the vast majority of them rely either on "sight" (optics) or "touch" (mechanics) separately. On the contrary, I believe that it is from the combination of those two "senses" that we have more chances to tackle the future challenges of cell biology, tissue engineering, and medical diagnosis. Inspired by this tantalizing perspective, and supported by a technology that I have brought from blackboard to market, I have now designed a scientific program to breach into the microscopic scale via an unbeaten path. The program develops along three projects addressing the three most relevant scales in life sciences: cells, tissues, and organs. In the first project, I will design and test a new optomechanical probe to investigate how a prolonged mechanical load on a brain cell of a living animal may trigger alterations in its Central Nervous System. With the second project, I will develop an optomechanical tactile instrument that can assess how subsurface tissues deform in response to a mechanical stroke – a study that may change the way physicians look at tissue classification. For the third project, I will deliver an acousto-optical gas trace sensors so compact that can penetrate inside the lungs of an adult patient, where it could be used for early detection of pulmonary life threatening diseases. Each project represents an opportunity to open an entire new field, where optics and micromechanics are combined to extend our senses well beyond their natural limits.
Project acronym DUALITY
Project Theoretical Foundations of Memory Micro-Insertions in Wireless Communications
Researcher (PI) Petros ELIA
Host Institution (HI) EURECOM
Summary We propose to develop the theoretical foundations of transforming memory into data rates, and to explore their practical ramifications in wireless communication networks. Motivated by the long-lasting open challenge to invent a communication technology that scales with the network size, we have recently discovered early indications of how preemptive use of distributed data-storage at the receiving communication nodes (well before transmission), can offer unprecedented throughput gains by surprisingly bypassing the dreaded bottleneck of real-time channel-feedback. For an exploratory downlink configuration, we unearthed a hidden duality between feedback and preemptive use of memory, which managed to doubly-exponentially reduce the needed memory size, and consequently offered unbounded throughput gains compared to all existing solutions with the same resources. This was surprising because feedback and memory were thought to be mostly disconnected; one is used on the wireless PHY layer, the other on the wired MAC. This development prompts our key scientific challenge which is to pursue the mathematical convergence between feedback-information-theory and preemptive distributed data-storage, and to then design ultra-fast memory-aided communication algorithms that pass real-life testing. This is a structurally new approach, which promises to reveal deep links between feedback information theory and memory, for a variety of envisioned wireless-network architectures of exceptional promise. In doing so, our new proposed theory stands to identify the basic principles of how a splash of memory can surgically alter the informational-structure of these networks, rendering them faster, simpler and more efficient. In the end, this study has the potential to directly translate the continuously increasing data-storage capabilities, into gains of wireless network capacity, and to ultimately avert the looming network-overload caused by these same indefinite increases of data volumes.
We propose to develop the theoretical foundations of transforming memory into data rates, and to explore their practical ramifications in wireless communication networks. Motivated by the long-lasting open challenge to invent a communication technology that scales with the network size, we have recently discovered early indications of how preemptive use of distributed data-storage at the receiving communication nodes (well before transmission), can offer unprecedented throughput gains by surprisingly bypassing the dreaded bottleneck of real-time channel-feedback. For an exploratory downlink configuration, we unearthed a hidden duality between feedback and preemptive use of memory, which managed to doubly-exponentially reduce the needed memory size, and consequently offered unbounded throughput gains compared to all existing solutions with the same resources. This was surprising because feedback and memory were thought to be mostly disconnected; one is used on the wireless PHY layer, the other on the wired MAC. This development prompts our key scientific challenge which is to pursue the mathematical convergence between feedback-information-theory and preemptive distributed data-storage, and to then design ultra-fast memory-aided communication algorithms that pass real-life testing. This is a structurally new approach, which promises to reveal deep links between feedback information theory and memory, for a variety of envisioned wireless-network architectures of exceptional promise. In doing so, our new proposed theory stands to identify the basic principles of how a splash of memory can surgically alter the informational-structure of these networks, rendering them faster, simpler and more efficient. In the end, this study has the potential to directly translate the continuously increasing data-storage capabilities, into gains of wireless network capacity, and to ultimately avert the looming network-overload caused by these same indefinite increases of data volumes.
Project acronym eAXON
Project Electronic AXONs: wireless microstimulators based on electronic rectification of epidermically applied currents
Researcher (PI) Antonio IVORRA Cano
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Summary To build interfaces between the electronic domain and the human nervous system is one of the most demanding challenges of nowadays engineering. Fascinating developments have already been performed such as visual cortical implants for the blind and cochlear implants for the deaf. Yet implantation of most electrical stimulation systems requires complex surgeries which hamper their use for the development of so-called electroceuticals. More importantly, previously developed systems based on central stimulation units are not adequate for applications in which a large number of sites must be individually stimulated over large and mobile body parts, thus hindering neuroprosthetic solutions for patients suffering paralysis due to spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders. A solution to these challenges could consist in developing addressable single-channel wireless microstimulators which could be implanted with simple procedures such as injection. And, indeed, such solution was proposed and tried in the past. However, previous attempts did not achieve satisfactory success because the developed implants were stiff and too large. Further miniaturization was prevented because of the use of inductive coupling and batteries as energy sources. Here I propose to explore an innovative method for performing electrical stimulation in which the implanted microstimulators will operate as rectifiers of bursts of innocuous high frequency current supplied through skin electrodes shaped as garments. This approach has the potential to reduce the diameter of the implants to one-fifth the diameter of current microstimulators and, more significantly, to allow that most of the implants' volume consists of materials whose density and flexibility match those of neighbouring living tissues for minimizing invasiveness. In fact, implants based on the proposed method will look like short pieces of flexible thread.
To build interfaces between the electronic domain and the human nervous system is one of the most demanding challenges of nowadays engineering. Fascinating developments have already been performed such as visual cortical implants for the blind and cochlear implants for the deaf. Yet implantation of most electrical stimulation systems requires complex surgeries which hamper their use for the development of so-called electroceuticals. More importantly, previously developed systems based on central stimulation units are not adequate for applications in which a large number of sites must be individually stimulated over large and mobile body parts, thus hindering neuroprosthetic solutions for patients suffering paralysis due to spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders. A solution to these challenges could consist in developing addressable single-channel wireless microstimulators which could be implanted with simple procedures such as injection. And, indeed, such solution was proposed and tried in the past. However, previous attempts did not achieve satisfactory success because the developed implants were stiff and too large. Further miniaturization was prevented because of the use of inductive coupling and batteries as energy sources. Here I propose to explore an innovative method for performing electrical stimulation in which the implanted microstimulators will operate as rectifiers of bursts of innocuous high frequency current supplied through skin electrodes shaped as garments. This approach has the potential to reduce the diameter of the implants to one-fifth the diameter of current microstimulators and, more significantly, to allow that most of the implants' volume consists of materials whose density and flexibility match those of neighbouring living tissues for minimizing invasiveness. In fact, implants based on the proposed method will look like short pieces of flexible thread.
Project acronym EMPOWER
Project Medium Voltage Direct Current Electronic Transformer
Researcher (PI) Drazen DUJIC
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Summary More than a century ago, the invention of alternating current (AC) transformer has made AC the preferred choice over the direct current (DC) technologies. Line AC transformers are bulky but simple and reliable devices, made out of copper and iron, providing voltage adaptation and galvanic isolation in AC power systems. Currently, DC technology is increasing its presence in AC power systems, enabled by progress in semiconductor devices and power electronics based energy conversion. DC power distribution networks can effectively support energy transformation and high penetration of distributed energy resources and energy storage integration (both increasingly being DC by nature) in future energy systems. Despite this shift towards the DC power distribution networks, DC Transformer, offering AC transformer like features (and beyond) does not exist, either conceptually or practically. To enable the next (r)evolution in power systems, the EMPOWER project will develop the DC Transformer, a novel, flexible, highly efficient, compact, and reliable conversion principle for seamless energy routing in high-power DC distribution networks. Through a holistic approach, novel concepts, integration and optimization, we will demonstrate new design paradigms for galvanically-isolated power conversion. Our approach relies on resonant conversion utilizing high-voltage semiconductor devices in combination with high-frequency magnetic materials. We propose a new approach for the DC Transformer, avoiding active power flow control and instead utilizing control effort for the safety and protection. The DC Transformer will unify functions of a power converter and a protection device into a single power electronics system, improving drastically the conversion efficiency, reliability and power density in future DC power distribution networks. The success of this project will place Europe at the edge of reliable, efficient and safe energy distribution and transmission technologies.
More than a century ago, the invention of alternating current (AC) transformer has made AC the preferred choice over the direct current (DC) technologies. Line AC transformers are bulky but simple and reliable devices, made out of copper and iron, providing voltage adaptation and galvanic isolation in AC power systems. Currently, DC technology is increasing its presence in AC power systems, enabled by progress in semiconductor devices and power electronics based energy conversion. DC power distribution networks can effectively support energy transformation and high penetration of distributed energy resources and energy storage integration (both increasingly being DC by nature) in future energy systems. Despite this shift towards the DC power distribution networks, DC Transformer, offering AC transformer like features (and beyond) does not exist, either conceptually or practically. To enable the next (r)evolution in power systems, the EMPOWER project will develop the DC Transformer, a novel, flexible, highly efficient, compact, and reliable conversion principle for seamless energy routing in high-power DC distribution networks. Through a holistic approach, novel concepts, integration and optimization, we will demonstrate new design paradigms for galvanically-isolated power conversion. Our approach relies on resonant conversion utilizing high-voltage semiconductor devices in combination with high-frequency magnetic materials. We propose a new approach for the DC Transformer, avoiding active power flow control and instead utilizing control effort for the safety and protection. The DC Transformer will unify functions of a power converter and a protection device into a single power electronics system, improving drastically the conversion efficiency, reliability and power density in future DC power distribution networks. The success of this project will place Europe at the edge of reliable, efficient and safe energy distribution and transmission technologies.
Project acronym ENCOMOLE-2i
Project Endoscopic Comprehensive Optical Multimodal Molecular Intelligent Imaging
Researcher (PI) Robert Huber
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT ZU LUBECK
Summary Optical imaging has exceptional potential for medical diagnosis, because it can provide high spatial resolution and molecular contrast. However, for in vivo imaging in humans, the poor penetration of only a few millimetres is a major obstacle. Optical endoscopes solve this problem, but currently most of them only perform non-advanced, classical white light imaging. Also, the speed of current devices is not sufficient to comprehensively scan entire organs at microscopic resolution. Hence, medical imaging is still dominated by non-optical techniques like X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of ENCOMOLE-2i is to push the performance of advanced optical in vivo imaging techniques to cross the application threshold for clinical research and practice. An endoscopic multi-modal molecular imaging platform will be developed with unprecedented capabilities for the diagnosis of disease. The hardware technology development includes three novel imaging modalities. Optical coherence tomography with line rates of several Megahertz will be used for comprehensive structural imaging over large areas. Time encoded stimulated Raman sensing, supported by a new type of two photon microscopy, will be used for guided and referenced molecular imaging. Combining these techniques into one system and interfacing it with a newly developed endoscope will generate great synergy. Moreover, the unique synchronization capabilities of these modalities enable a radically new strategy for more efficient data acquisition: The concept of adaptive "Intelligent Imaging". The goal is to develop a universal endoscopy platform which can then be specifically tailored to the individual application. In the project the focus is on gastrointestinal imaging. The synergy between technological and algorithmic advances in ENCOMOLE-2i will break ground for more optical in vivo imaging in clinical research and routine, which can finally lead to improved diagnosis of many types of disease.
Optical imaging has exceptional potential for medical diagnosis, because it can provide high spatial resolution and molecular contrast. However, for in vivo imaging in humans, the poor penetration of only a few millimetres is a major obstacle. Optical endoscopes solve this problem, but currently most of them only perform non-advanced, classical white light imaging. Also, the speed of current devices is not sufficient to comprehensively scan entire organs at microscopic resolution. Hence, medical imaging is still dominated by non-optical techniques like X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of ENCOMOLE-2i is to push the performance of advanced optical in vivo imaging techniques to cross the application threshold for clinical research and practice. An endoscopic multi-modal molecular imaging platform will be developed with unprecedented capabilities for the diagnosis of disease. The hardware technology development includes three novel imaging modalities. Optical coherence tomography with line rates of several Megahertz will be used for comprehensive structural imaging over large areas. Time encoded stimulated Raman sensing, supported by a new type of two photon microscopy, will be used for guided and referenced molecular imaging. Combining these techniques into one system and interfacing it with a newly developed endoscope will generate great synergy. Moreover, the unique synchronization capabilities of these modalities enable a radically new strategy for more efficient data acquisition: The concept of adaptive "Intelligent Imaging". The goal is to develop a universal endoscopy platform which can then be specifically tailored to the individual application. In the project the focus is on gastrointestinal imaging. The synergy between technological and algorithmic advances in ENCOMOLE-2i will break ground for more optical in vivo imaging in clinical research and routine, which can finally lead to improved diagnosis of many types of disease.
Project acronym ENLIGHTENED
Project Nanophotonic Nanomechanical Mass Spectrometry for Biology and Health
Researcher (PI) Sébastien Claude Hentz
Host Institution (HI) COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Summary « Mass Spectrometry has become a routine analytical tool in modern biological research, and has gained in recent years a foothold in the realm of clinical diagnostic and screening. However, it is still costly, complex and because its principle relies on ionization, it is incapable of analyzing biomolecules with masses greater than a few MDa. Averaging more than 100 million particles per measurement, it is also incapable of characterizing the diversity of such heavy entities. ENLIGHTENED aims at demonstrating a breakthrough concept based on Photonic Nano-Mechanical Mass Spectrometry, able to perform analysis of bioparticles of high biomedical significance, of ultra-high mass, never so far characterized, with single-molecule sensitivity and unprecedented resolution. The long-term vision beyond the current proposal is to provide the biologists with a tool which will be transformative for fundamental knowledge, and to make possible cheap, handheld devices for personalized medicine. ENLIGHTENED proposes to use photons to shed light on unexplored species at the individual level, which is of high biomedical significance and will expand our understanding of simple life forms."
« Mass Spectrometry has become a routine analytical tool in modern biological research, and has gained in recent years a foothold in the realm of clinical diagnostic and screening. However, it is still costly, complex and because its principle relies on ionization, it is incapable of analyzing biomolecules with masses greater than a few MDa. Averaging more than 100 million particles per measurement, it is also incapable of characterizing the diversity of such heavy entities. ENLIGHTENED aims at demonstrating a breakthrough concept based on Photonic Nano-Mechanical Mass Spectrometry, able to perform analysis of bioparticles of high biomedical significance, of ultra-high mass, never so far characterized, with single-molecule sensitivity and unprecedented resolution. The long-term vision beyond the current proposal is to provide the biologists with a tool which will be transformative for fundamental knowledge, and to make possible cheap, handheld devices for personalized medicine. ENLIGHTENED proposes to use photons to shed light on unexplored species at the individual level, which is of high biomedical significance and will expand our understanding of simple life forms."
Project acronym Feel your Reach
Project Non-invasive decoding of cortical patterns induced by goal directed movement intentions and artificial sensory feedback in humans
Researcher (PI) Gernot Rudolf Mueller-Putz
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZ
Summary In Europe estimated 300.000 people are suffering from a spinal cord injury (SCI) with 11.000 new injuries per year. The consequences of spinal cord injury are tremendous for these individuals. The loss of motor functions especially of the arm and grasping function – 40% are tetraplegics – leads to a life-long dependency on care givers and therefore to a dramatic decrease in quality of life in these often young individuals. With the help of neuroprostheses, grasp and elbow function can be substantially improved. However, remaining body movements often do not provide enough degrees of freedom to control the neuroprosthesis. The ideal solution for voluntary control of an upper extremity neuroprosthesis would be to directly record motor commands from the corresponding cortical areas and convert them into control signals. This would realize a technical bypass around the interrupted nerve fiber tracts in the spinal cord. A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) transform mentally induced changes of brain signals into control signals and serve as an alternative human-machine interface. We showed first results in EEG-based control of a neuroprosthesis in several persons with SCI in the last decade, however, the control is still unnatural and cumbersome. The objective of FEEL YOUR REACH is to develop a novel control framework that incorporates goal directed movement intention, movement decoding, error processing, processing of sensory feedback to allow a more natural control of a neuroprosthesis. To achieve this aim a goal directed movement decoder will be realized, and continuous error potential decoding will be included. Both will be finally joined together with an artificial kinesthetic sensory feedback display attached to the user. We hypothesize that with these mechanisms a user will be able to naturally control an neuroprosthesis with his/ her mind only.
In Europe estimated 300.000 people are suffering from a spinal cord injury (SCI) with 11.000 new injuries per year. The consequences of spinal cord injury are tremendous for these individuals. The loss of motor functions especially of the arm and grasping function – 40% are tetraplegics – leads to a life-long dependency on care givers and therefore to a dramatic decrease in quality of life in these often young individuals. With the help of neuroprostheses, grasp and elbow function can be substantially improved. However, remaining body movements often do not provide enough degrees of freedom to control the neuroprosthesis. The ideal solution for voluntary control of an upper extremity neuroprosthesis would be to directly record motor commands from the corresponding cortical areas and convert them into control signals. This would realize a technical bypass around the interrupted nerve fiber tracts in the spinal cord. A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) transform mentally induced changes of brain signals into control signals and serve as an alternative human-machine interface. We showed first results in EEG-based control of a neuroprosthesis in several persons with SCI in the last decade, however, the control is still unnatural and cumbersome. The objective of FEEL YOUR REACH is to develop a novel control framework that incorporates goal directed movement intention, movement decoding, error processing, processing of sensory feedback to allow a more natural control of a neuroprosthesis. To achieve this aim a goal directed movement decoder will be realized, and continuous error potential decoding will be included. Both will be finally joined together with an artificial kinesthetic sensory feedback display attached to the user. We hypothesize that with these mechanisms a user will be able to naturally control an neuroprosthesis with his/ her mind only.
Project acronym FLAMENCO
Project A Fully-Implantable MEMS-Based Autonomous Cochlear Implant
Researcher (PI) Kulah Haluk
Host Institution (HI) MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
Summary Sensorineural impairment, representing the majority of the profound deafness, can be restored using cochlear implants (CIs), which electrically stimulates the auditory nerve to repair hearing in people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. A conventional CI consists of an external microphone, a sound processor, a battery, an RF transceiver pair, and a cochlear electrode. The major drawback of conventional CIs is that, they replace the entire natural hearing mechanism with electronic hearing, even though most parts of the middle ear are operational. Also, the power hungry units such as microphone and RF transceiver cause limitations in continuous access to sound due to battery problems. Besides, damage risk of external components especially if exposed to water and aesthetic concerns are other critical problems. Limited volume of the middle ear is the main obstacle for developing fully implantable CIs. FLAMENCO proposes a fully implantable, autonomous, and low-power CI, exploiting the functional parts of the middle ear and mimicking the hair cells via a set of piezoelectric cantilevers to cover the daily acoustic band. FLAMENCO has a groundbreaking nature as it revolutionizes the operation principle of CIs. The implant has five main units: i) piezoelectric transducers for sound detection and energy harvesting, ii) electronics for signal processing and battery charging, iii) an RF coil for tuning the electronics to allow customization, iv) rechargeable battery, and v) cochlear electrode for neural stimulation. The utilization of internal energy harvesting together with the elimination of continuous RF transmission, microphone, and front-end filters makes this system a perfect candidate for next generation autonomous CIs. In this project, a multi-frequency self-powered implant for in vivo operation will be implemented, and the feasibility will be proven through animal tests.
Sensorineural impairment, representing the majority of the profound deafness, can be restored using cochlear implants (CIs), which electrically stimulates the auditory nerve to repair hearing in people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. A conventional CI consists of an external microphone, a sound processor, a battery, an RF transceiver pair, and a cochlear electrode. The major drawback of conventional CIs is that, they replace the entire natural hearing mechanism with electronic hearing, even though most parts of the middle ear are operational. Also, the power hungry units such as microphone and RF transceiver cause limitations in continuous access to sound due to battery problems. Besides, damage risk of external components especially if exposed to water and aesthetic concerns are other critical problems. Limited volume of the middle ear is the main obstacle for developing fully implantable CIs. FLAMENCO proposes a fully implantable, autonomous, and low-power CI, exploiting the functional parts of the middle ear and mimicking the hair cells via a set of piezoelectric cantilevers to cover the daily acoustic band. FLAMENCO has a groundbreaking nature as it revolutionizes the operation principle of CIs. The implant has five main units: i) piezoelectric transducers for sound detection and energy harvesting, ii) electronics for signal processing and battery charging, iii) an RF coil for tuning the electronics to allow customization, iv) rechargeable battery, and v) cochlear electrode for neural stimulation. The utilization of internal energy harvesting together with the elimination of continuous RF transmission, microphone, and front-end filters makes this system a perfect candidate for next generation autonomous CIs. In this project, a multi-frequency self-powered implant for in vivo operation will be implemented, and the feasibility will be proven through animal tests.
Project acronym FlexNets
Project Quantifying Flexibility in Communication Networks
Researcher (PI) Wolfgang Leonhard Kellerer
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Summary Communication networks have emerged to become the basic infrastructure for all areas of our society with application areas ranging from social media to industrial production and healthcare. New requirements include the need for dynamic changes of the required resources, for example, to react to social events or to shifts of demands. Existing networks and, in particular, the Internet cannot meet those requirements mainly due to their ossification and hence limitation in resource allocation, i.e., lack of flexibility to adapt the available resources to changes of demands on a small time-scale and in an efficient way. In recent years, several concepts have emerged in networking research to provide more flexibility in networks through virtualization and control plane programmability. In particular, the split between data plane and a centralized control plane as defined by Software Defined Networking (SDN) is regarded as the basic concept to allow flexibility in networks. However, a deeper understanding of what flexibility means remains open. In this project, flexibility focuses on the dynamic changes in time and size of a network that is characterized by its resources (link rate and node capacities) and connectivity (network graph). It is the objective of this research to analyse the fundamental design space for flexibility in SDN-based networks with respect to cost such as resource usage, traffic overhead and delay. The outcome will be a set of quantitative arguments pro and contra certain design choices. An analytical cost model to quantitatively assess the trade-off for flexibility vs. cost will be developed. To assess flexibility with respect to general graph properties a graph model will be designed. The detailed analysis is based on three use cases: dynamic resource allocation, QoS control, and resilience. In the state of the art, selected aspects of flexibility have been explored for certain network scenarios, a fundamental and comprehensive analysis is missing.
Communication networks have emerged to become the basic infrastructure for all areas of our society with application areas ranging from social media to industrial production and healthcare. New requirements include the need for dynamic changes of the required resources, for example, to react to social events or to shifts of demands. Existing networks and, in particular, the Internet cannot meet those requirements mainly due to their ossification and hence limitation in resource allocation, i.e., lack of flexibility to adapt the available resources to changes of demands on a small time-scale and in an efficient way. In recent years, several concepts have emerged in networking research to provide more flexibility in networks through virtualization and control plane programmability. In particular, the split between data plane and a centralized control plane as defined by Software Defined Networking (SDN) is regarded as the basic concept to allow flexibility in networks. However, a deeper understanding of what flexibility means remains open. In this project, flexibility focuses on the dynamic changes in time and size of a network that is characterized by its resources (link rate and node capacities) and connectivity (network graph). It is the objective of this research to analyse the fundamental design space for flexibility in SDN-based networks with respect to cost such as resource usage, traffic overhead and delay. The outcome will be a set of quantitative arguments pro and contra certain design choices. An analytical cost model to quantitatively assess the trade-off for flexibility vs. cost will be developed. To assess flexibility with respect to general graph properties a graph model will be designed. The detailed analysis is based on three use cases: dynamic resource allocation, QoS control, and resilience. In the state of the art, selected aspects of flexibility have been explored for certain network scenarios, a fundamental and comprehensive analysis is missing.
Project acronym FOGHORN
Project FOG-aided wireless networks for communication, cacHing and cOmputing: theoRetical and algorithmic fouNdations
Researcher (PI) Osvaldo SIMEONE
Host Institution (HI) KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
Summary "The FOGHORN project aims at developing the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of fog-aided wireless networks. This is an emerging class of wireless systems that leverages the synergy and complementarity of cloudification and edge processing, two key technologies in the evolution towards 5G systems and beyond. Fog-aided wireless networks can reap the bene fits of centralization via cloud processing, in terms of capital and operating cost reductions, greening, and enhanced spectral e fficiency, while, at the same time, being able to cater to low-latency applications, such as the ""tactile"" internet, by means of localized intelligence at the network edge. The operation of fog-aided wireless networks poses novel fundamental research problems pertaining to the optimal management of the communication, caching and computing resources at the cloud and at the edge, as well as to the transmission on the fronthaul network connecting cloud and edge. The solution of these problems challenges the theoretical principles and engineering insights which have underpinned the design of existing networks. The initial research activity on the topic, of which the EU is at the forefront, focuses, by and large, on ad hoc solutions and technologies. In contrast, the goal of this project is to develop fundamental theoretical insights and algorithmic principles with the main aim of guiding engineering choices, unlocking new academic opportunities and disclosing new technologies. The theoretical framework is grounded in network information theory, which enables the distillation of design principles, along with signal processing, (non-convex) optimization, queuing and distributed computing to develop and analyse algorithmic solutions."
"The FOGHORN project aims at developing the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of fog-aided wireless networks. This is an emerging class of wireless systems that leverages the synergy and complementarity of cloudification and edge processing, two key technologies in the evolution towards 5G systems and beyond. Fog-aided wireless networks can reap the bene fits of centralization via cloud processing, in terms of capital and operating cost reductions, greening, and enhanced spectral e fficiency, while, at the same time, being able to cater to low-latency applications, such as the ""tactile"" internet, by means of localized intelligence at the network edge. The operation of fog-aided wireless networks poses novel fundamental research problems pertaining to the optimal management of the communication, caching and computing resources at the cloud and at the edge, as well as to the transmission on the fronthaul network connecting cloud and edge. The solution of these problems challenges the theoretical principles and engineering insights which have underpinned the design of existing networks. The initial research activity on the topic, of which the EU is at the forefront, focuses, by and large, on ad hoc solutions and technologies. In contrast, the goal of this project is to develop fundamental theoretical insights and algorithmic principles with the main aim of guiding engineering choices, unlocking new academic opportunities and disclosing new technologies. The theoretical framework is grounded in network information theory, which enables the distillation of design principles, along with signal processing, (non-convex) optimization, queuing and distributed computing to develop and analyse algorithmic solutions."
Project acronym FORWARD
Project New Frontiers for Optoelectronics with Artificial Media
Researcher (PI) ALOYSE MARIE CHARLES DEGIRON
Summary To detect or generate complex light beams that are increasingly needed in biology and photonics (light with non-zero angular momentum and non-classical light), it is necessary to rely on bulky and sophisticated setups, considerably limiting their potential. The FORWARD project aims at obtaining the same functionalities with a new generation of optoelectronic components of submicron thickness in the near infrared range. This ambitious objective implies to devise radically new ways of creating and manipulating complex light at the nanoscale. In FORWARD, this tremendous challenge will be addressed by hybridizing two classes of artificial media-colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) and metamaterials-and leveraging advanced cooperative behaviours within the hybrids. In the new devices, which will be pumped electrically, the active layers will be made of a film of CQDs interwoven with the metallic inclusions of an optical metamaterial. FORWARD has a strong multidisciplinary character as it lies at the crossroads of nanocrystal processing, nanofabrication, nanophotonics, condensed matter physics and optoelectronics. First, we will hybridize metallic metamaterials and CQDs, study the transport properties in these devices and develop metamaterial/CQD photodetectors demonstrating the advantage of the hybridization. Second, we will induce classical cooperative effects between the different metamaterial inclusions and utilize this approach to fabricate hybrids LEDs capable of emitting optical vortices. Last, we will induce quantum synchronizations among the CQDs and demonstrate hybrids LEDs that produce coherent and non-classical light. Each demonstrator of the project will be a world first in terms of functionalities, miniaturization and operation principle. Besides, this initiative can be seen as the first of its kind that takes a unified and multidisciplinary view at artificial media, opening new horizons for synthetic composite materials in optics, electronics and optoelectronics.
To detect or generate complex light beams that are increasingly needed in biology and photonics (light with non-zero angular momentum and non-classical light), it is necessary to rely on bulky and sophisticated setups, considerably limiting their potential. The FORWARD project aims at obtaining the same functionalities with a new generation of optoelectronic components of submicron thickness in the near infrared range. This ambitious objective implies to devise radically new ways of creating and manipulating complex light at the nanoscale. In FORWARD, this tremendous challenge will be addressed by hybridizing two classes of artificial media-colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) and metamaterials-and leveraging advanced cooperative behaviours within the hybrids. In the new devices, which will be pumped electrically, the active layers will be made of a film of CQDs interwoven with the metallic inclusions of an optical metamaterial. FORWARD has a strong multidisciplinary character as it lies at the crossroads of nanocrystal processing, nanofabrication, nanophotonics, condensed matter physics and optoelectronics. First, we will hybridize metallic metamaterials and CQDs, study the transport properties in these devices and develop metamaterial/CQD photodetectors demonstrating the advantage of the hybridization. Second, we will induce classical cooperative effects between the different metamaterial inclusions and utilize this approach to fabricate hybrids LEDs capable of emitting optical vortices. Last, we will induce quantum synchronizations among the CQDs and demonstrate hybrids LEDs that produce coherent and non-classical light. Each demonstrator of the project will be a world first in terms of functionalities, miniaturization and operation principle. Besides, this initiative can be seen as the first of its kind that takes a unified and multidisciplinary view at artificial media, opening new horizons for synthetic composite materials in optics, electronics and optoelectronics.
Project acronym FRECOM
Project Nonlinear-Distortion Free Communication over the Optical Fibre Channel
Researcher (PI) Darko ZIBAR
Host Institution (HI) DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET
Summary Motivation The enormous growth in the Internet of Things and server farms for cloud services has increased the strain on the optical communication infrastructure. By 2025, our society will require data rates that are physically impossible to implement using current state-of-the-art optical communication technologies. This is because fibre-optic communication systems are rapidly approaching their fundamental capacity limits imposed by the Kerr nonlinearity of the fibre. Nonlinear distortion limits the ability to transport and detect the information stream. This is a very critical problem for increasing the data rates of any optical fibre communication system. Proposed research The only physical quantities not affected by the nonlinearity are eigenvalues, associated with the optical fibre propagation equation. Eigenvalues are thereby ideal candidates for information transport. The concept of eigenvalues is derived under the assumption that the fibre is lossless and that there is no noise in the system which is not strictly correct. Therefore, novel methodologies and concepts for the design of a noise mitigating receiver and a noise robust transmitter are needed to reap the full benefits of optical communication systems employing eigenvalues. This proposal will develop such strategies. This will be achieved by combining, for the first time, the fields of nonlinear optics, optical communication and nonlinear digital signal processing. The results from the project will be verified experimentally, and will form the basis for a new generation of commercial optical communication systems. Preliminary results Our proof-of-concept results demonstrate, for the first time, that noise can be handled by employing novel receiver concepts. An order of magnitude improvement compared to the state-of-the-art is demonstrated. Environment The research will be carried out in close cooperation with leading groups at Stanford University and Technical University of Munich.
Motivation The enormous growth in the Internet of Things and server farms for cloud services has increased the strain on the optical communication infrastructure. By 2025, our society will require data rates that are physically impossible to implement using current state-of-the-art optical communication technologies. This is because fibre-optic communication systems are rapidly approaching their fundamental capacity limits imposed by the Kerr nonlinearity of the fibre. Nonlinear distortion limits the ability to transport and detect the information stream. This is a very critical problem for increasing the data rates of any optical fibre communication system. Proposed research The only physical quantities not affected by the nonlinearity are eigenvalues, associated with the optical fibre propagation equation. Eigenvalues are thereby ideal candidates for information transport. The concept of eigenvalues is derived under the assumption that the fibre is lossless and that there is no noise in the system which is not strictly correct. Therefore, novel methodologies and concepts for the design of a noise mitigating receiver and a noise robust transmitter are needed to reap the full benefits of optical communication systems employing eigenvalues. This proposal will develop such strategies. This will be achieved by combining, for the first time, the fields of nonlinear optics, optical communication and nonlinear digital signal processing. The results from the project will be verified experimentally, and will form the basis for a new generation of commercial optical communication systems. Preliminary results Our proof-of-concept results demonstrate, for the first time, that noise can be handled by employing novel receiver concepts. An order of magnitude improvement compared to the state-of-the-art is demonstrated. Environment The research will be carried out in close cooperation with leading groups at Stanford University and Technical University of Munich.
Project acronym GRAPHICS
Project GRAphene nonlinear PHotonic Integrated CircuitS
Researcher (PI) Christelle Brigitte Isabelle Monat
Host Institution (HI) ECOLE CENTRALE DE LYON
Summary "GRAPHICS aims at developing novel chip-based photonic devices for all-optical signal processing in graphene/ semiconductor hybrid platforms. The resulting architectures will be the cornerstone of a disruptive optical routing and processing technology on silicon chips for communications as well as Datacom and interconnect applications. These will also pave the way towards the photonic-microelectronic convergence, through the realization of CMOS compatible platforms. Our research program will focus on two main classes of nonlinear optical devices: (1) integrated pulsed III-V/ Si microlasers, and (2) all-optical signal processing devices, relying on two distinct nonlinear features of graphene, i.e. its saturable absorption and its nonlinear Kerr response, respectively. In addition, the capability of tuning graphene properties electrically will allow us to create fundamentally flexible and reconfigurable intelligent optical devices. The two classes of nonlinear devices targeted in the project represent significant achievements in their own right. However, they share some scientific and technological challenges. For instance, relevant strategies must be found for enhancing the typically low interaction of light with the monolayer of carbon atoms, as needed for the device miniaturization. Here, we will combine graphene with the nanophotonic toolbox -microcavities, or slow light photonic crystals- to enhance the light-graphene interaction and realize compact chip-scale devices. More fundamentally, these two classes of nonlinear devices will jointly contribute to shape the long-term vision of a fully integrated photonic platform, in which the pulsed microlaser delivers directly on-chip the optical peak power necessary to trigger all other ""intelligent"" devices onto the same circuit. GRAPHICS will therefore help to ""draw"" a novel generation of photonic integrated circuits and architectures, with graphene playing a key role, to be used for managing high-speed optical data."
"GRAPHICS aims at developing novel chip-based photonic devices for all-optical signal processing in graphene/ semiconductor hybrid platforms. The resulting architectures will be the cornerstone of a disruptive optical routing and processing technology on silicon chips for communications as well as Datacom and interconnect applications. These will also pave the way towards the photonic-microelectronic convergence, through the realization of CMOS compatible platforms. Our research program will focus on two main classes of nonlinear optical devices: (1) integrated pulsed III-V/ Si microlasers, and (2) all-optical signal processing devices, relying on two distinct nonlinear features of graphene, i.e. its saturable absorption and its nonlinear Kerr response, respectively. In addition, the capability of tuning graphene properties electrically will allow us to create fundamentally flexible and reconfigurable intelligent optical devices. The two classes of nonlinear devices targeted in the project represent significant achievements in their own right. However, they share some scientific and technological challenges. For instance, relevant strategies must be found for enhancing the typically low interaction of light with the monolayer of carbon atoms, as needed for the device miniaturization. Here, we will combine graphene with the nanophotonic toolbox -microcavities, or slow light photonic crystals- to enhance the light-graphene interaction and realize compact chip-scale devices. More fundamentally, these two classes of nonlinear devices will jointly contribute to shape the long-term vision of a fully integrated photonic platform, in which the pulsed microlaser delivers directly on-chip the optical peak power necessary to trigger all other ""intelligent"" devices onto the same circuit. GRAPHICS will therefore help to ""draw"" a novel generation of photonic integrated circuits and architectures, with graphene playing a key role, to be used for managing high-speed optical data."
Project acronym HEART
Project "The Highly Efficient And Reliable smart Transformer (HEART), a new Heart for the Electric Distribution System"
Researcher (PI) Marco Liserre
Host Institution (HI) CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL
Summary "In the last 10 years, power electronics has moved significantly towards the electric grid, making it more flexible and decentralized. Still important challenges remain. One of the most thrilling is re-inventing the distribution transformer after more than 125 years since its first use in the electrification of a city. In fact, actual distribution transformers can no longer fulfill the requirements of a modern electric grid highly dominated by distributed sources and new sizable loads, like heat pumps and electric vehicles. This project proposes the invention of a novel "Smart Transformer" (ST), based on a modular architecture of units made by power electronics converters, that will be able to manage the energy and the information flows among sources and loads in the distribution area with the goal of decoupling it from the rest of the bulk power system. Actual proposals of Smart Transformers cannot compete in terms of cost, efficiency and reliability with traditional transformers. This project has decided to take this challenge with a paradigm shift in how to approach it and a new set of methodologies. The breakthrough results of this research will be obtained taking the following high-risk high-gain bet: significantly influence the efficiency and the reliability of the Smart Transformer by routing the energy flows among its power converter units. A new understanding of how the energy flows are managed by the modular connection of power converter units will guide the design of new architectures for the ST allowing different routes for the energy. Graph theory will be used to find optimal paths for the energy flows with the goal of maximizing efficiency and reliability. The energy flows will be managed by relying on information coming from the electric distribution system sensors (requirements) and from the power module sensors (constraints). The holy grail of this research is to provide a new durable heart to the electric distribution system."
"In the last 10 years, power electronics has moved significantly towards the electric grid, making it more flexible and decentralized. Still important challenges remain. One of the most thrilling is re-inventing the distribution transformer after more than 125 years since its first use in the electrification of a city. In fact, actual distribution transformers can no longer fulfill the requirements of a modern electric grid highly dominated by distributed sources and new sizable loads, like heat pumps and electric vehicles. This project proposes the invention of a novel "Smart Transformer" (ST), based on a modular architecture of units made by power electronics converters, that will be able to manage the energy and the information flows among sources and loads in the distribution area with the goal of decoupling it from the rest of the bulk power system. Actual proposals of Smart Transformers cannot compete in terms of cost, efficiency and reliability with traditional transformers. This project has decided to take this challenge with a paradigm shift in how to approach it and a new set of methodologies. The breakthrough results of this research will be obtained taking the following high-risk high-gain bet: significantly influence the efficiency and the reliability of the Smart Transformer by routing the energy flows among its power converter units. A new understanding of how the energy flows are managed by the modular connection of power converter units will guide the design of new architectures for the ST allowing different routes for the energy. Graph theory will be used to find optimal paths for the energy flows with the goal of maximizing efficiency and reliability. The energy flows will be managed by relying on information coming from the electric distribution system sensors (requirements) and from the power module sensors (constraints). The holy grail of this research is to provide a new durable heart to the electric distribution system."
Project acronym HYPNOTIC
Project Hybrid Indium Phosphide on Silicon nanophotonics for ultimate laser diodes, flip-flops and memories
Researcher (PI) Fabrice, Denis RAINERI
Summary The HYPNOTIC project aims at achieving a breakthrough in Silicon laser science and technology by taking forward the III-V semiconductors on Silicon hybrid technology into the nanophotonic world to make the dream of the convergence of microelectronics and photonics on a chip come true. This project intends to take up the challenge of bringing to reality electrically powered photonic crystal nanolasers as reference sources for dense integration and logical processing in a Silicon-based optical platform by accomplishing: (i) power efficiency with extremely low activation energies of few fJ, (ii) high bandwidth beyond 40Gbits/s, (iii) compactness with footprints less than 100µm² for high integration density of 103-104 of devices per mm2. A paradigm change will be brought to Silicon photonics by laying down 3 corner stones which consist firstly in the realisation of ultimate nanolaser diode sources at telecom wavelengths using an optimised single hybrid active nanocavity. Secondly, the groundbreaking atomic physics concepts of superradiance and lasing without inversion of population resonators will be transposed to nanophotonics by coupling several active nanocavities. Besides studying them for their fundamental interest, the project will capitalise on them to drastically augment the power efficiency and the modulation bandwidth of the nanosources. Finally, the fabricated nanolaser diodes using these novel concepts will be exploited to demonstrate cutting-edge flip-flop and memory devices able to surpass current off-chip electronic random access memories in access times and bandwidth which could enable unprecedented computational power.
The HYPNOTIC project aims at achieving a breakthrough in Silicon laser science and technology by taking forward the III-V semiconductors on Silicon hybrid technology into the nanophotonic world to make the dream of the convergence of microelectronics and photonics on a chip come true. This project intends to take up the challenge of bringing to reality electrically powered photonic crystal nanolasers as reference sources for dense integration and logical processing in a Silicon-based optical platform by accomplishing: (i) power efficiency with extremely low activation energies of few fJ, (ii) high bandwidth beyond 40Gbits/s, (iii) compactness with footprints less than 100µm² for high integration density of 103-104 of devices per mm2. A paradigm change will be brought to Silicon photonics by laying down 3 corner stones which consist firstly in the realisation of ultimate nanolaser diode sources at telecom wavelengths using an optimised single hybrid active nanocavity. Secondly, the groundbreaking atomic physics concepts of superradiance and lasing without inversion of population resonators will be transposed to nanophotonics by coupling several active nanocavities. Besides studying them for their fundamental interest, the project will capitalise on them to drastically augment the power efficiency and the modulation bandwidth of the nanosources. Finally, the fabricated nanolaser diodes using these novel concepts will be exploited to demonstrate cutting-edge flip-flop and memory devices able to surpass current off-chip electronic random access memories in access times and bandwidth which could enable unprecedented computational power.
Project acronym IMBIBE
Project Innovative technology solutions to explore effects of the microbiome on intestine and brain pathophysiology
Researcher (PI) Róisín Meabh OWENS
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Summary The human gut is host to over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Intestinal microbes can affect the function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, via immunity, nutrient absorption, energy metabolism and intestinal barrier function. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. In vitro models have developed at an accelerated pace in the past decade, benefitting from advances in cell culture (in particular 3D cell culture and use of human cell types), increasing the viability of these systems as alternatives to traditional cell culture methods. This in turn will allow refinement and replacement of animal use. In particular in basic science, or high throughput approaches where animal models are under significant pressure to be replaced, in vitro human models can be singularly appropriate. The development of in vitro models with microbiota has not yet been demonstrated even though the transformative role of the microbiota appears unquestionable. The IMBIBE project will focus on using engineering and materials science approaches to develop complete (i.e. human and microbe) in vitro models to truly capture the human situation. IMBIBE will benefit from cutting edge organic electronic technology which will allow real-time monitoring thus enabling iterative improvements in the models employed. The result from this project will be a platform to study host-microbiome interactions and consequences for pathophysiology, in particular, of the GI tract and brain.
The human gut is host to over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Intestinal microbes can affect the function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, via immunity, nutrient absorption, energy metabolism and intestinal barrier function. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn's disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. In vitro models have developed at an accelerated pace in the past decade, benefitting from advances in cell culture (in particular 3D cell culture and use of human cell types), increasing the viability of these systems as alternatives to traditional cell culture methods. This in turn will allow refinement and replacement of animal use. In particular in basic science, or high throughput approaches where animal models are under significant pressure to be replaced, in vitro human models can be singularly appropriate. The development of in vitro models with microbiota has not yet been demonstrated even though the transformative role of the microbiota appears unquestionable. The IMBIBE project will focus on using engineering and materials science approaches to develop complete (i.e. human and microbe) in vitro models to truly capture the human situation. IMBIBE will benefit from cutting edge organic electronic technology which will allow real-time monitoring thus enabling iterative improvements in the models employed. The result from this project will be a platform to study host-microbiome interactions and consequences for pathophysiology, in particular, of the GI tract and brain.
Project acronym InnoSpace
Project Revolutionizing fibre-wireless communications through space-division multiplexed photonics
Researcher (PI) Ivana Gasulla Mestre
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA
Summary Next generation global telecommunication paradigms will require entirely new technologies to address the current limitations to massive capacity and connectivity. A full integration between optical fibre and wireless networks will be the key for the upcoming multigigabit-per-second 5G wireless communications and the era of Internet of Things. Microwave Photonics (MWP) is the multidisciplinary technology to achieve such a convergence. There is one revolutionary approach that has however been left untapped in finding innovative ways to increase the end user capacity and provide adaptive radiofrequency-photonic interfaces: exploiting space - the last available degree of freedom for optical multiplexing. Space-Division multiplexing (SDM) has been recently touted as a solution for the capacity bottleneck in digital communications by establishing independent light paths in a single fibre. My pioneering idea is to develop a novel area of application for SDM by exploiting for the first time its inherent parallelism to implement a broadband tuneable true time delay line for radiofrequency signals, which is the basis of multiple MWP functionalities. Within this project I envision an unprecedented revolution in fibre-wireless communications through the powerful concept of SDM that will lead to unique processing capabilities as well as to a reduction of size, weight and power consumption. My unique research background developed around the two core of this project, SDM and MWP, puts me in the privileged position to unify them in this truly interdisciplinary program, merging novel ideas and methods from physics, radiofrequency and photonics. Based on my profile, my preliminary results and the available infrastructure at my host organization, I am best positioned to successfully carry out this innovative high-gain/high-risk approach, which will lead to revolutionary advancements of the state of the art and prospective evolution of MWP for future ubiquitous communication scenarios.
Next generation global telecommunication paradigms will require entirely new technologies to address the current limitations to massive capacity and connectivity. A full integration between optical fibre and wireless networks will be the key for the upcoming multigigabit-per-second 5G wireless communications and the era of Internet of Things. Microwave Photonics (MWP) is the multidisciplinary technology to achieve such a convergence. There is one revolutionary approach that has however been left untapped in finding innovative ways to increase the end user capacity and provide adaptive radiofrequency-photonic interfaces: exploiting space - the last available degree of freedom for optical multiplexing. Space-Division multiplexing (SDM) has been recently touted as a solution for the capacity bottleneck in digital communications by establishing independent light paths in a single fibre. My pioneering idea is to develop a novel area of application for SDM by exploiting for the first time its inherent parallelism to implement a broadband tuneable true time delay line for radiofrequency signals, which is the basis of multiple MWP functionalities. Within this project I envision an unprecedented revolution in fibre-wireless communications through the powerful concept of SDM that will lead to unique processing capabilities as well as to a reduction of size, weight and power consumption. My unique research background developed around the two core of this project, SDM and MWP, puts me in the privileged position to unify them in this truly interdisciplinary program, merging novel ideas and methods from physics, radiofrequency and photonics. Based on my profile, my preliminary results and the available infrastructure at my host organization, I am best positioned to successfully carry out this innovative high-gain/high-risk approach, which will lead to revolutionary advancements of the state of the art and prospective evolution of MWP for future ubiquitous communication scenarios.
Project acronym INTERFERE
Project Sparse Signal Coding for Interference-based Imaging Modalities
Researcher (PI) Peter Schelkens
Host Institution (HI) VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL
Summary Since its invention in 1948 by Dennis Gabor holography has held the promise to empower full parallax 3D visualisation. Though the trajectory has been significantly longer than expected, recent developments in photonics, microelectronics and computer engineering have led to the prospective to realize within a decade dynamic full parallax holography with acceptable rendering quality and viewing angle. Unfortunately projections – based on the current state-of-the-art and expected evolution in the underlying "hardware" technologies – still predict exascale computing power and terabytes-per-second data rates. Since dynamic digital holography requires huge amounts of pixels to be sensed, transmitted and represented, sparse signal representations hold a great promise reducing the computational complexity and bandwidth usage. INTERFERE will design a generic source coding methodology and architecture to facilitate the exploitation of sparse signal representations for dynamic, full parallax, large viewing angle digital holography and more generic, interference-based modalities, with the ambition to reduce the signal processing tailbacks while exploiting simultaneously human visual system characteristics. Realizing these research objectives – with a strong focus on advanced signal representations, associated source coding methodologies and visual quality modelling – will provide a breakthrough with respect to the complexity reduction and thus realisation of full-parallax, wide viewing angle dynamic digital holography and benefit the earlier mentioned adjacent scientific fields. Intermediate results or components will have serendipic effects on other scientific disciplines and open new horizons for markets such as – but not limited to – medical imaging, biophotonics, life sciences, public safety, digital holographic microscopy, holographic biomedical sensors, data storage and metrology, illustrating the high-gain potential of INTERFERE.
Since its invention in 1948 by Dennis Gabor holography has held the promise to empower full parallax 3D visualisation. Though the trajectory has been significantly longer than expected, recent developments in photonics, microelectronics and computer engineering have led to the prospective to realize within a decade dynamic full parallax holography with acceptable rendering quality and viewing angle. Unfortunately projections – based on the current state-of-the-art and expected evolution in the underlying "hardware" technologies – still predict exascale computing power and terabytes-per-second data rates. Since dynamic digital holography requires huge amounts of pixels to be sensed, transmitted and represented, sparse signal representations hold a great promise reducing the computational complexity and bandwidth usage. INTERFERE will design a generic source coding methodology and architecture to facilitate the exploitation of sparse signal representations for dynamic, full parallax, large viewing angle digital holography and more generic, interference-based modalities, with the ambition to reduce the signal processing tailbacks while exploiting simultaneously human visual system characteristics. Realizing these research objectives – with a strong focus on advanced signal representations, associated source coding methodologies and visual quality modelling – will provide a breakthrough with respect to the complexity reduction and thus realisation of full-parallax, wide viewing angle dynamic digital holography and benefit the earlier mentioned adjacent scientific fields. Intermediate results or components will have serendipic effects on other scientific disciplines and open new horizons for markets such as – but not limited to – medical imaging, biophotonics, life sciences, public safety, digital holographic microscopy, holographic biomedical sensors, data storage and metrology, illustrating the high-gain potential of INTERFERE.
Project acronym IONOS
Project An iono-electronic neuromorphic interface for communication with living systems
Researcher (PI) Fabien Robert Jocelyn ALIBART
Summary While our understanding of the brain have made huge progresses, we are still inefficient in interfacing biological systems with electronics, both in terms of energy and integration potential. Pushed by the need to use conventional computers for building complex systems dedicated to brain interface applications, we have mostly capitalized on technologies and architectures inherits from microelectronic that are intrinsically not adapted to interface living systems. The IONOS project will shift the brain interface paradigm by developing new technologies designed to interact intimately with biological cells and capitalizing heavily on bio-inspiration. To reach this goal, the IONOS project will explore how to sense, stimulate and compute biological signals from in-vitro neural cells' assembly based on iono-electronic materials and devices. These emerging devices offer basics functionalities such as memory, ion-electron signal's transduction, and amplification paving the way to a new field of device and circuit engineering that could efficiently reproduce key biological functions such as learning and spatio-temporal processing of information. This project will demonstrate how these concepts associated to the bio-inspired computing paradigm can unlock our fundamental limitations for communicating with living neural cells. Proof of concept will show how an artificial system can efficiently send, receive and compute information from a biological one, which constitutes the basic of communication.
While our understanding of the brain have made huge progresses, we are still inefficient in interfacing biological systems with electronics, both in terms of energy and integration potential. Pushed by the need to use conventional computers for building complex systems dedicated to brain interface applications, we have mostly capitalized on technologies and architectures inherits from microelectronic that are intrinsically not adapted to interface living systems. The IONOS project will shift the brain interface paradigm by developing new technologies designed to interact intimately with biological cells and capitalizing heavily on bio-inspiration. To reach this goal, the IONOS project will explore how to sense, stimulate and compute biological signals from in-vitro neural cells' assembly based on iono-electronic materials and devices. These emerging devices offer basics functionalities such as memory, ion-electron signal's transduction, and amplification paving the way to a new field of device and circuit engineering that could efficiently reproduce key biological functions such as learning and spatio-temporal processing of information. This project will demonstrate how these concepts associated to the bio-inspired computing paradigm can unlock our fundamental limitations for communicating with living neural cells. Proof of concept will show how an artificial system can efficiently send, receive and compute information from a biological one, which constitutes the basic of communication.
Project acronym IRIS
Project Infrared imaging and sensing: the single-photon frontier
Researcher (PI) Robert Hugh Hadfield
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Summary Infrared sensing technology has a central role to play in addressing 21st century global challenges in healthcare, security and environmental sensing. Promising new applications hinge on the ability to detect individual quanta of light: single photons. At infrared wavelengths this is a formidable task due to the low photon energy, and commercial-off-the-shelf technologies fall far short of the required performance. IRIS will engineer revolutionary photon counting infrared imaging and sensing solutions, with unprecedented spectral range, efficiency, timing resolution and low noise. Using state-of-the-art materials and nanofabrication techniques, novel superconducting detector technology will be scaled up from single pixels to large area photon counting arrays. Efficient readout and optical coupling solutions will be developed and implemented. IRIS will exploit space age cryogenic technology to create compact and mobile detector systems. IRIS will deploy these systems for the first time in revolutionary infrared imaging and sensing applications: dosimetry for laser based cancer treatment, atmospheric remote sensing of greenhouse gases and real-time distributed fibre sensing for geothermal energy.
Infrared sensing technology has a central role to play in addressing 21st century global challenges in healthcare, security and environmental sensing. Promising new applications hinge on the ability to detect individual quanta of light: single photons. At infrared wavelengths this is a formidable task due to the low photon energy, and commercial-off-the-shelf technologies fall far short of the required performance. IRIS will engineer revolutionary photon counting infrared imaging and sensing solutions, with unprecedented spectral range, efficiency, timing resolution and low noise. Using state-of-the-art materials and nanofabrication techniques, novel superconducting detector technology will be scaled up from single pixels to large area photon counting arrays. Efficient readout and optical coupling solutions will be developed and implemented. IRIS will exploit space age cryogenic technology to create compact and mobile detector systems. IRIS will deploy these systems for the first time in revolutionary infrared imaging and sensing applications: dosimetry for laser based cancer treatment, atmospheric remote sensing of greenhouse gases and real-time distributed fibre sensing for geothermal energy.
Project acronym ITUL
Project Information Theory with Uncertain Laws
Researcher (PI) Albert GUILLÉN I FÀBREGAS
Summary Shannon's Information Theory paved the way for the information era by providing the mathematical foundations of digital information systems. A key underlying assumption of Shannon's key results is that the probability law that governing system is known, allowing to optimize the codebook and decoder accordingly. There are a number of important situations where perfectly estimating the system law is impossible; in these situations the codebook and decoder must be designed without complete (or no) knowledge of the system law. The vast majority of the Information Theory literature makes strong simplifying assumptions on the model. Theoretical studies that provide a general treatment of information processing with uncertain laws are hence urgently needed. For general systems, standard asymptotic techniques cannot be invoked and new techniques must be sought. A fundamental understanding of the impact of uncertainty in general systems is crucial to harvesting the potential gains in practice. This project is aimed at contributing towards the ambitious goal of providing a unified framework for the study of Information Theory with uncertain laws. A general framework based on hypothesis testing will be developed and code designs and constructions that naturally follow from the hypothesis testing formulation will be derived. This unconventional and challenging treatment of Information Theory will advance the area and will contribute to Information Sciences and Systems disciplines where Information Theory is relevant. A comprehensive study of the fundamental limits and optimal code design with law uncertainty for general models will represent a major step forward in the field, with the potential to provide new tools and techniques to solve open problems in close disciplines. Therefore, the outcomes of this project will not only benefit communications, but also areas such as probability theory, statistics, physics, computer science and economics.
Shannon's Information Theory paved the way for the information era by providing the mathematical foundations of digital information systems. A key underlying assumption of Shannon's key results is that the probability law that governing system is known, allowing to optimize the codebook and decoder accordingly. There are a number of important situations where perfectly estimating the system law is impossible; in these situations the codebook and decoder must be designed without complete (or no) knowledge of the system law. The vast majority of the Information Theory literature makes strong simplifying assumptions on the model. Theoretical studies that provide a general treatment of information processing with uncertain laws are hence urgently needed. For general systems, standard asymptotic techniques cannot be invoked and new techniques must be sought. A fundamental understanding of the impact of uncertainty in general systems is crucial to harvesting the potential gains in practice. This project is aimed at contributing towards the ambitious goal of providing a unified framework for the study of Information Theory with uncertain laws. A general framework based on hypothesis testing will be developed and code designs and constructions that naturally follow from the hypothesis testing formulation will be derived. This unconventional and challenging treatment of Information Theory will advance the area and will contribute to Information Sciences and Systems disciplines where Information Theory is relevant. A comprehensive study of the fundamental limits and optimal code design with law uncertainty for general models will represent a major step forward in the field, with the potential to provide new tools and techniques to solve open problems in close disciplines. Therefore, the outcomes of this project will not only benefit communications, but also areas such as probability theory, statistics, physics, computer science and economics.
Project acronym justITSELF
Project Just-in-time Self-Verification of Autonomous Systems
Researcher (PI) Matthias ALTHOFF
Summary Engineers and computer scientists are currently developing autonomous systems whose entire set of behaviors in future, untested situations is unknown: How can a designer foresee all situations that an autonomous road vehicle, a robot in a human environment, an agricultural robot, or an unmanned aerial vehicle will face? Keeping in mind that all these examples are safety-critical, it is irresponsible to deploy such systems without testing all possible situations---this, however, seems impossible since even the most important possible situations are unmanageably many. I propose a paradigm shift that will make it possible to guarantee safety in unforeseeable situations: Instead of verifying the correctness of a system before deployment, I propose just-in-time verification, a new, to-be-developed verification paradigm where a system continuously checks the correctness of its next action by itself in its current environment (and only in it) in a just-in-time manner. Since future autonomous systems will have a tight interconnection of discrete computing and continuous physical elements, also known as cyber-physical systems, I will develop just-in-time verification for this system class. In order to prove correct behavior of cyber-physical systems, I will develop new formal verification techniques that efficiently compute possible future behaviors---subject to uncertain initial states, inputs, and parameters---within a small time horizon. Just-in-time verification will substantially cut development costs, increase the autonomy of systems (e.g., the range of deployment of automated driving systems), and reduce or even eliminate certain liability claims. The results will be implemented in an open-source software framework and will be primarily demonstrated for automated driving. Successful development of just-in-time verification techniques is yet more challenging than offline verification of autonomous systems, but expected to bring even greater rewards.
Engineers and computer scientists are currently developing autonomous systems whose entire set of behaviors in future, untested situations is unknown: How can a designer foresee all situations that an autonomous road vehicle, a robot in a human environment, an agricultural robot, or an unmanned aerial vehicle will face? Keeping in mind that all these examples are safety-critical, it is irresponsible to deploy such systems without testing all possible situations---this, however, seems impossible since even the most important possible situations are unmanageably many. I propose a paradigm shift that will make it possible to guarantee safety in unforeseeable situations: Instead of verifying the correctness of a system before deployment, I propose just-in-time verification, a new, to-be-developed verification paradigm where a system continuously checks the correctness of its next action by itself in its current environment (and only in it) in a just-in-time manner. Since future autonomous systems will have a tight interconnection of discrete computing and continuous physical elements, also known as cyber-physical systems, I will develop just-in-time verification for this system class. In order to prove correct behavior of cyber-physical systems, I will develop new formal verification techniques that efficiently compute possible future behaviors---subject to uncertain initial states, inputs, and parameters---within a small time horizon. Just-in-time verification will substantially cut development costs, increase the autonomy of systems (e.g., the range of deployment of automated driving systems), and reduce or even eliminate certain liability claims. The results will be implemented in an open-source software framework and will be primarily demonstrated for automated driving. Successful development of just-in-time verification techniques is yet more challenging than offline verification of autonomous systems, but expected to bring even greater rewards.
Project acronym LEON
Project Compact THz lasers based on graphene quantum dots
Researcher (PI) Juliette MANGENEY
Summary The ambition of this project is to open new horizons in the field of graphene-based devices for THz technology. The major objective is to develop compact THz amplifiers and lasers operating at room temperature, analogous to the concept of semiconductor lasers in the visible and telecom wavelength range. THz radiation is extremely attractive for fundamental investigations of matter and emerging applications including, for example, security screening, medical imaging and spectroscopy. However, the THz spectral range remains one of the least exploited spectral regions, mainly due to the lack of compact powerful sources. The development of the typical semiconductor-laser scheme emitting at THz frequencies has been seriously hampered by the absence of an appropriate material with a sufficiently small bandgap. The LEON project addresses this technological and scientific blocking point with new semiconductor-laser schemes for THz emission centered on the integration of graphene-based materials. Indeed, graphene is potentially an excellent candidate for a THz semiconductor-laser model owing to its 'zero' bandgap. However, non-radiative recombination mechanisms, especially Auger recombination, reduce the lifetime of the optical gain to few hundreds of femtoseconds. This phenomenon drastically limits the feasibility of a THz laser. In order to suppress these detrimental non-radiative processes, a new concept is needed. The project proposes to exploit the full discretization of electronic states in graphene quantum dots. This high-risk high-gain project will provide important and far-reaching scientific advances, which cannot be achieved with the current state-of-the-art approaches. This project has three major cornerstones: i) the demonstration of THz amplifiers based on graphene quantum dots, ii) the demonstration of THz lasers based on graphene quantum dots in a microcavity, iii) the exploitation of these THz amplifiers/lasers for security and communication applications.
The ambition of this project is to open new horizons in the field of graphene-based devices for THz technology. The major objective is to develop compact THz amplifiers and lasers operating at room temperature, analogous to the concept of semiconductor lasers in the visible and telecom wavelength range. THz radiation is extremely attractive for fundamental investigations of matter and emerging applications including, for example, security screening, medical imaging and spectroscopy. However, the THz spectral range remains one of the least exploited spectral regions, mainly due to the lack of compact powerful sources. The development of the typical semiconductor-laser scheme emitting at THz frequencies has been seriously hampered by the absence of an appropriate material with a sufficiently small bandgap. The LEON project addresses this technological and scientific blocking point with new semiconductor-laser schemes for THz emission centered on the integration of graphene-based materials. Indeed, graphene is potentially an excellent candidate for a THz semiconductor-laser model owing to its 'zero' bandgap. However, non-radiative recombination mechanisms, especially Auger recombination, reduce the lifetime of the optical gain to few hundreds of femtoseconds. This phenomenon drastically limits the feasibility of a THz laser. In order to suppress these detrimental non-radiative processes, a new concept is needed. The project proposes to exploit the full discretization of electronic states in graphene quantum dots. This high-risk high-gain project will provide important and far-reaching scientific advances, which cannot be achieved with the current state-of-the-art approaches. This project has three major cornerstones: i) the demonstration of THz amplifiers based on graphene quantum dots, ii) the demonstration of THz lasers based on graphene quantum dots in a microcavity, iii) the exploitation of these THz amplifiers/lasers for security and communication applications.
Project acronym LIFEGATE
Project Holographic super-resolution micro-endoscopy for in-vivo applications
Researcher (PI) Tomas Cizmar
Host Institution (HI) LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUER PHOTONISCHE TECHNOLOGIEN E.V.
Summary Complexity of living matter currently poses the most significant barrier to modern in-vivo microscopy. Fuelled by various branches of life sciences, the race is now to increase the penetration depth of super-resolution imaging inside living organisms. Additionally, no high-resolution in-vivo imaging technique has ever been introduced into medical, particularly surgical practice. This proposal sets out to develop new, ultra-thin endoscopic devices exceeding by orders of magnitude the performance of the current state of the art, thus paving the way for acquiring high-quality images from unprecedented depths of the most delicate tissues of living organisms. A team of transdisciplinary experts will push the fundamental and technological limits of the enabling principle - holographic control of light propagation in multimode fibres. Through advanced analytical and numerical modelling and major advancement of experimental methods, the project will develop a powerful platform for fast and efficient recovery of randomised imagery, retrieved from both rigid and flexible single-fibre endoscopes. This 'gate-through-life' will enable the team to deploy several prominent light-based imaging methods, including super-resolution approaches, inside freely moving animal models and ultimately humans. Supported by partners with broad expertise in in-vivo imaging, I will apply this methodology in the first instance to Neuroscience. This will provide a new, minimally invasive window into fundamental processes behind sub-cellular-scale functional connectivity of neurons and onset of common disabling neuronal disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Lastly, I will introduce the first technological basis for keyhole clinical diagnostics, enabling intra-operative live histology and microsurgery. This new imaging capacity will be able to reach currently inaccessible regions of the human body, while providing images with sub-cellular resolution in-situ.
Complexity of living matter currently poses the most significant barrier to modern in-vivo microscopy. Fuelled by various branches of life sciences, the race is now to increase the penetration depth of super-resolution imaging inside living organisms. Additionally, no high-resolution in-vivo imaging technique has ever been introduced into medical, particularly surgical practice. This proposal sets out to develop new, ultra-thin endoscopic devices exceeding by orders of magnitude the performance of the current state of the art, thus paving the way for acquiring high-quality images from unprecedented depths of the most delicate tissues of living organisms. A team of transdisciplinary experts will push the fundamental and technological limits of the enabling principle - holographic control of light propagation in multimode fibres. Through advanced analytical and numerical modelling and major advancement of experimental methods, the project will develop a powerful platform for fast and efficient recovery of randomised imagery, retrieved from both rigid and flexible single-fibre endoscopes. This 'gate-through-life' will enable the team to deploy several prominent light-based imaging methods, including super-resolution approaches, inside freely moving animal models and ultimately humans. Supported by partners with broad expertise in in-vivo imaging, I will apply this methodology in the first instance to Neuroscience. This will provide a new, minimally invasive window into fundamental processes behind sub-cellular-scale functional connectivity of neurons and onset of common disabling neuronal disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Lastly, I will introduce the first technological basis for keyhole clinical diagnostics, enabling intra-operative live histology and microsurgery. This new imaging capacity will be able to reach currently inaccessible regions of the human body, while providing images with sub-cellular resolution in-situ.
Project acronym LightPipe
Project Antiresonant Hollow Optical Fibres for a Quantum Leap in Data and Optical Power Transmission
Researcher (PI) Francesco Poletti
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
Summary Fibre optics has revolutionised telecommunications, enabled the widespread diffusion of the internet and profoundly impacted industrial manufacturing, metrology, medical endoscopy and structural sensing, to name but a few. In many applications however, fibres are now being operated very close to fundamental physical limits of the glass that forms their core, and this is already providing hard limits, for example, to the maximum data capacity or optical intensity that can be transmitted through them. A transformative new technological step is required to help increasing the information capacity and power delivery capability of optical fibres to keep up with the 1.5dB/year growth in global data traffic and with the 2dB/year raise in laser output power. Air guiding hollow core fibres can provide a natural solution, but the state of the art technology suffers from conceptual physical limitations that bound their minimum loss, maximum information capacity, and transmitted optical power and energy. This proposal addresses these global challenges by developing the 'ultimate' hollow core optical fibre technology based on nested antiresonant nodeless fibres. Based on a recent discovery of the PI yet to find experimental demonstration, these fibres exploit antiresonances and multiple coherent reflections from the glass membranes to achieve, unlike any other known air-guiding optical waveguide, simultaneous minimisation of surface scattering and leakage loss. By targeting a 10 times increase in data capacity and power handling and a 5 times reduction in transmission loss as compared to state-of-the-art technology, all in an ultra-low nonlinearity fibre with excellent modal purity and spectral transparency, the outcomes of this project have the potential to revolutionise telecommunications 45 years after the development of ultra-low loss glass optical fibres and to produce a step-change in many industrial and scientific high power laser delivery applications.
Fibre optics has revolutionised telecommunications, enabled the widespread diffusion of the internet and profoundly impacted industrial manufacturing, metrology, medical endoscopy and structural sensing, to name but a few. In many applications however, fibres are now being operated very close to fundamental physical limits of the glass that forms their core, and this is already providing hard limits, for example, to the maximum data capacity or optical intensity that can be transmitted through them. A transformative new technological step is required to help increasing the information capacity and power delivery capability of optical fibres to keep up with the 1.5dB/year growth in global data traffic and with the 2dB/year raise in laser output power. Air guiding hollow core fibres can provide a natural solution, but the state of the art technology suffers from conceptual physical limitations that bound their minimum loss, maximum information capacity, and transmitted optical power and energy. This proposal addresses these global challenges by developing the 'ultimate' hollow core optical fibre technology based on nested antiresonant nodeless fibres. Based on a recent discovery of the PI yet to find experimental demonstration, these fibres exploit antiresonances and multiple coherent reflections from the glass membranes to achieve, unlike any other known air-guiding optical waveguide, simultaneous minimisation of surface scattering and leakage loss. By targeting a 10 times increase in data capacity and power handling and a 5 times reduction in transmission loss as compared to state-of-the-art technology, all in an ultra-low nonlinearity fibre with excellent modal purity and spectral transparency, the outcomes of this project have the potential to revolutionise telecommunications 45 years after the development of ultra-low loss glass optical fibres and to produce a step-change in many industrial and scientific high power laser delivery applications.
Project acronym MICROCRYO
Project Microsystems for Cryomicroscopy
Researcher (PI) Thomas BURG
Summary This proposal aims to revolutionize time-resolved light and electron cryo-microscopy of fast cellular dynamics using a new class of cryogenic microsystems for the reversible cryofixation of cells and small model organisms by ultra-rapid cooling. This will contribute to our understanding of biological structure and function by revealing the dynamics of specific proteins in the ultrastructural context of a cell at nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. Despite rapid progress in the field, much of the potential of microscopy at cryogenic temperature today is still untapped due to limitations in methods and instrumentation for sample preparation. First, vitrification technologies for cryo-microscopy have evolved only incrementally since the 1960s and cannot be combined with many of the sophisticated live imaging methods that have emerged over the past decade. Second, while the synergy of light and electron cryo-microscopy is extremely powerful, cryo-microscopy with light is still in its infancy. Finally, new technologies for ultra-rapid heating and cooling of single cells are needed to systematically advance our understanding of reversibility in the cryopreservation of e.g. stem cells, oocytes, or sperm cells. Here I propose to create a microfluidic technology for the direct vitrification of cells in the light microscope by ultra-rapid cooling with millisecond time resolution. The cells will then be imaged at high resolution using electron microscopy and advanced modes of light microscopy combined with new optics adapted to cryogenic conditions. Ultimately, we will elucidate if and under which conditions cryofixation can be reversed by ultra-rapid warming such that dynamic cellular processes resume unperturbed. We expect that the research proposed here will enable breakthroughs in understanding the structural and molecular basis of fast cellular events including transport, membrane trafficking, cell division, and synaptic transmission.
This proposal aims to revolutionize time-resolved light and electron cryo-microscopy of fast cellular dynamics using a new class of cryogenic microsystems for the reversible cryofixation of cells and small model organisms by ultra-rapid cooling. This will contribute to our understanding of biological structure and function by revealing the dynamics of specific proteins in the ultrastructural context of a cell at nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. Despite rapid progress in the field, much of the potential of microscopy at cryogenic temperature today is still untapped due to limitations in methods and instrumentation for sample preparation. First, vitrification technologies for cryo-microscopy have evolved only incrementally since the 1960s and cannot be combined with many of the sophisticated live imaging methods that have emerged over the past decade. Second, while the synergy of light and electron cryo-microscopy is extremely powerful, cryo-microscopy with light is still in its infancy. Finally, new technologies for ultra-rapid heating and cooling of single cells are needed to systematically advance our understanding of reversibility in the cryopreservation of e.g. stem cells, oocytes, or sperm cells. Here I propose to create a microfluidic technology for the direct vitrification of cells in the light microscope by ultra-rapid cooling with millisecond time resolution. The cells will then be imaged at high resolution using electron microscopy and advanced modes of light microscopy combined with new optics adapted to cryogenic conditions. Ultimately, we will elucidate if and under which conditions cryofixation can be reversed by ultra-rapid warming such that dynamic cellular processes resume unperturbed. We expect that the research proposed here will enable breakthroughs in understanding the structural and molecular basis of fast cellular events including transport, membrane trafficking, cell division, and synaptic transmission.
Project acronym MINERVA
Project Communication Theoretical Foundations of Nervous System Towards BIO-inspired Nanonetworks and ICT-inspired Neuro-treatment
Researcher (PI) Ozgur B. Akan
Summary "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", stated by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, describes the possibility of manipulating individual atoms and molecules to realise nanomachines. Emerging nanoscale applications mandate enabling nanomachines to communicate and form nanonetworks to overcome the limitations of a single one. Thus, our aim is to find the answer to the profound question, i.e., "is the room down there sufficient for a communication network?" Thanks to natural evolution, the affirmative answer is right inside us. Human body is a large- scale communication network of molecular nanonetworks composed of billions of nanomachines, i.e., cells, which use molecules to encode, transmit and receive information. Any communication failure that is beyond the recovery capabilities of this network leads to diseases. In this project, first, (1) we will investigate the communication theoretical foundations of nanoscale neuro-spike communication channels between neurons. Second, (2) we will study multi-terminal, i.e., multiple-access, relay, broadcast, neuro-spike channels and nervous nanonetwork in terms of communication theoretical metrics. Third, (3) we will validate our channel and nanonetwork models with physiological data, and develop a nervous nanonetwork simulator (N4Sim). Finally, (4) we will develop the first nanoscale bio-inspired communication system for ICT-inspired neuro-treatment for spinal cord injury, i.e., nanoscale artificial synapse, which will mimic neuron behaviour by realising both electrical and nanoscale molecular communications.The MINERVA project will pave the way for the realisation of emerging nanonetwork applications with significant societal impact, e.g., intra-body networks for health monitoring, drug delivery, chemical and biological attack prevention systems. The project will help develop the future ICT-inspired treatment techniques for communication related neural disorders.
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", stated by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, describes the possibility of manipulating individual atoms and molecules to realise nanomachines. Emerging nanoscale applications mandate enabling nanomachines to communicate and form nanonetworks to overcome the limitations of a single one. Thus, our aim is to find the answer to the profound question, i.e., "is the room down there sufficient for a communication network?" Thanks to natural evolution, the affirmative answer is right inside us. Human body is a large- scale communication network of molecular nanonetworks composed of billions of nanomachines, i.e., cells, which use molecules to encode, transmit and receive information. Any communication failure that is beyond the recovery capabilities of this network leads to diseases. In this project, first, (1) we will investigate the communication theoretical foundations of nanoscale neuro-spike communication channels between neurons. Second, (2) we will study multi-terminal, i.e., multiple-access, relay, broadcast, neuro-spike channels and nervous nanonetwork in terms of communication theoretical metrics. Third, (3) we will validate our channel and nanonetwork models with physiological data, and develop a nervous nanonetwork simulator (N4Sim). Finally, (4) we will develop the first nanoscale bio-inspired communication system for ICT-inspired neuro-treatment for spinal cord injury, i.e., nanoscale artificial synapse, which will mimic neuron behaviour by realising both electrical and nanoscale molecular communications.The MINERVA project will pave the way for the realisation of emerging nanonetwork applications with significant societal impact, e.g., intra-body networks for health monitoring, drug delivery, chemical and biological attack prevention systems. The project will help develop the future ICT-inspired treatment techniques for communication related neural disorders.
Project acronym MODEST
Project Mathematical Optimization for clinical DEcision Support and Training
Researcher (PI) Sebastian Sager
Host Institution (HI) OTTO-VON-GUERICKE-UNIVERSITAET MAGDEBURG
Summary Physicians need to make many important decisions per day. One clinical example is the scheduling and dosage of chemotherapy treatments. A second example is the discrimination of atrial fibrillation from atypical atrial flutter, based on ECG data. Such important and complex decisions are usually based on expert knowledge, accumulated throughout the life of a physician and shaped by subjective (and sometimes unconscious) experience. It is not readily transferable and may be unavailable in rural areas. At the same time, the available imaging, laboratory, and basic clinical data is abundant and waits to be used. This data is not yet systematically integrated and often single data-points are used to make therapy decisions. More and more clinical decision making tasks will be modeled in terms of mathematical relations. I propose a systematic approach that supports and trains individual decision making. The developed ideas, mathematical models, and optimization algorithms will be generic and widely applicable in medicine and beyond, but also exploit specific structures, resulting in a patient- and circumstance-specific personalized medicine. This allows, e.g., a physician to first simulate the impact of his decisions on a computer and to consider optimized solutions. In the future, it will be the rare and unwanted exception that an important decision can not be backed up by consultation of a model-driven decision support system or based upon a systematic model-driven training. MODEST has a mathematical core. It builds on a comprehensive, interdisciplinary work program, based on disciplinary expertise in mixed-integer optimal control and existing collaborations with medical and educational experts. It is both timely, given the increasing availability of data and the maturity of mathematical methods, models, and software; as well as high-impact, due to the large number of clinical areas that may benefit from optimization-based decision support and training tools.
Physicians need to make many important decisions per day. One clinical example is the scheduling and dosage of chemotherapy treatments. A second example is the discrimination of atrial fibrillation from atypical atrial flutter, based on ECG data. Such important and complex decisions are usually based on expert knowledge, accumulated throughout the life of a physician and shaped by subjective (and sometimes unconscious) experience. It is not readily transferable and may be unavailable in rural areas. At the same time, the available imaging, laboratory, and basic clinical data is abundant and waits to be used. This data is not yet systematically integrated and often single data-points are used to make therapy decisions. More and more clinical decision making tasks will be modeled in terms of mathematical relations. I propose a systematic approach that supports and trains individual decision making. The developed ideas, mathematical models, and optimization algorithms will be generic and widely applicable in medicine and beyond, but also exploit specific structures, resulting in a patient- and circumstance-specific personalized medicine. This allows, e.g., a physician to first simulate the impact of his decisions on a computer and to consider optimized solutions. In the future, it will be the rare and unwanted exception that an important decision can not be backed up by consultation of a model-driven decision support system or based upon a systematic model-driven training. MODEST has a mathematical core. It builds on a comprehensive, interdisciplinary work program, based on disciplinary expertise in mixed-integer optimal control and existing collaborations with medical and educational experts. It is both timely, given the increasing availability of data and the maturity of mathematical methods, models, and software; as well as high-impact, due to the large number of clinical areas that may benefit from optimization-based decision support and training tools.
Project acronym MY-CUBE
Project 3D integration of a logic/memory CUBE for In-Memory-Computing
Researcher (PI) Francois ANDRIEU
Summary For integrated circuits to be able to leverage the future "data deluge" coming from the cloud and cyber-physical systems, the historical scaling of Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) devices is no longer the corner stone. At system-level, computing performance is now strongly power-limited and the main part of this power budget is consumed by data transfers between logic and memory circuit blocks in widespread Von-Neumann design architectures. An emerging computing paradigm solution overcoming this "memory wall" consists in processing the information in-situ, owing to In-Memory-Computing (IMC). However, today's existing memory technologies are ineffective to In-Memory compute billions of data items, as it is the case in the brain. Things may change with the emergence of three key enabling technologies: non-volatile resistive memory, new energy-efficient nanowire transistors and 3D-monolithic. My-CUBE will leverage them towards a functionality-enhanced system with a tight entangling of logic and memory. Only such a technology can support the scalability of the IMC concept. Following a holistic approach from the system to the material, My-CUBE unique solution relies on a new class of nano-technology, mixing at the fine-grain level a high capacity of non-volatile resistive memory coupled with new junctionless nanowire transistors 3D-interconnected at low-temperature, to perform data-centric computations. A 3D IMC accelerator circuit will be designed, manufactured and measured, targeting a 20x reduction in (Energy x Delay) Product vs. Von-Neumann systems. This technology that adds smartness to memory/storage will not only be a game changer for artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics or any data-abundant computing systems but it will also be, more broadly, a key computational kernel for next low-power, energy-efficient European integrated circuits.
For integrated circuits to be able to leverage the future "data deluge" coming from the cloud and cyber-physical systems, the historical scaling of Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) devices is no longer the corner stone. At system-level, computing performance is now strongly power-limited and the main part of this power budget is consumed by data transfers between logic and memory circuit blocks in widespread Von-Neumann design architectures. An emerging computing paradigm solution overcoming this "memory wall" consists in processing the information in-situ, owing to In-Memory-Computing (IMC). However, today's existing memory technologies are ineffective to In-Memory compute billions of data items, as it is the case in the brain. Things may change with the emergence of three key enabling technologies: non-volatile resistive memory, new energy-efficient nanowire transistors and 3D-monolithic. My-CUBE will leverage them towards a functionality-enhanced system with a tight entangling of logic and memory. Only such a technology can support the scalability of the IMC concept. Following a holistic approach from the system to the material, My-CUBE unique solution relies on a new class of nano-technology, mixing at the fine-grain level a high capacity of non-volatile resistive memory coupled with new junctionless nanowire transistors 3D-interconnected at low-temperature, to perform data-centric computations. A 3D IMC accelerator circuit will be designed, manufactured and measured, targeting a 20x reduction in (Energy x Delay) Product vs. Von-Neumann systems. This technology that adds smartness to memory/storage will not only be a game changer for artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics or any data-abundant computing systems but it will also be, more broadly, a key computational kernel for next low-power, energy-efficient European integrated circuits.
Project acronym NatDyReL
Project Utilizing Natural Dynamics for Reliable Legged Locomotion
Researcher (PI) Christian Ott
Host Institution (HI) DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV
Summary Despite the significant progress made in the field of humanoid robotics over the last 10-15 years, bipedal locomotion in robotics is still far from human performance in terms of speed, versatility, and robustness. The design of most humanoid robots nowadays is dominated by the aim at high rigidity and position accuracy in the motor units. In contrast, the NatDyReL project aims at a fundamental shift of paradigm in the design and control of humanoid robots, towards a new generation of intrinsically compliant robots that can adjust their open loop actuator impedance in real-time to the task. We believe that the maturing technology of variable impedance actuators in combination with novel control approaches for the intrinsically elastic dynamics has the potential of bringing humanoid locomotion and multi-contact motions to a new level in terms of energy-efficiency and execution speeds more similar to the human archetype. However, to fully utilize the ultimate benefits promised by variable impedance actuators, i.e. to store and release energy as well as to provide physical protection against shocks caused by impacts, it is necessary to exploit the natural compliant whole body dynamics on all levels of the system design, planning and control hierarchies. This project follows two scientific tracks for achieving (a) energetically efficient and high performant legged locomotion and (b) robust and dynamic contact transitions and in-contact motions for whole body locomotion in uncertain and confined spaces. As a strong basis to the mentioned application oriented objectives, we also aim at fundamental contributions on the control challenges related to novel variable impedance actuator technologies. The project is expected to make a strong impact on bipedal humanoid locomotion. Moreover, the developed methods will be sufficiently general such that they can also be transferred to other morphologies such as e.g. multi-limbed walking or climbing robots.
Despite the significant progress made in the field of humanoid robotics over the last 10-15 years, bipedal locomotion in robotics is still far from human performance in terms of speed, versatility, and robustness. The design of most humanoid robots nowadays is dominated by the aim at high rigidity and position accuracy in the motor units. In contrast, the NatDyReL project aims at a fundamental shift of paradigm in the design and control of humanoid robots, towards a new generation of intrinsically compliant robots that can adjust their open loop actuator impedance in real-time to the task. We believe that the maturing technology of variable impedance actuators in combination with novel control approaches for the intrinsically elastic dynamics has the potential of bringing humanoid locomotion and multi-contact motions to a new level in terms of energy-efficiency and execution speeds more similar to the human archetype. However, to fully utilize the ultimate benefits promised by variable impedance actuators, i.e. to store and release energy as well as to provide physical protection against shocks caused by impacts, it is necessary to exploit the natural compliant whole body dynamics on all levels of the system design, planning and control hierarchies. This project follows two scientific tracks for achieving (a) energetically efficient and high performant legged locomotion and (b) robust and dynamic contact transitions and in-contact motions for whole body locomotion in uncertain and confined spaces. As a strong basis to the mentioned application oriented objectives, we also aim at fundamental contributions on the control challenges related to novel variable impedance actuator technologies. The project is expected to make a strong impact on bipedal humanoid locomotion. Moreover, the developed methods will be sufficiently general such that they can also be transferred to other morphologies such as e.g. multi-limbed walking or climbing robots.
Project acronym NeuroAgents
Project Neuromorphic Electronic Agents: from sensory processing to autonomous cognitive behavior
Researcher (PI) Giacomo INDIVERI
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT ZURICH
Summary "Neural networks and deep learning algorithms are currently achieving impressive state-of-the-art results. In parallel computational neuroscience has made tremendous progress with both theories of neural computation and with hardware implementations of dedicated brain-inspired computing platforms. However, despite this remarkable progress, today's artificial systems are still not able to compete with biological ones in tasks that involve processing of sensory data acquired in real-time, in complex and uncertain settings. One of the reasons is that neural computation in biological systems is very different from the way today's computers operate: it is tightly linked to the properties of their computational embodiment, to the physics of their computing elements and to their temporal dynamics. Conventional computers on the other hand operate with mainly serial and synchronous logic gates, with functions that are decoupled from their hardware implementation, and with discretized and virtual time. In this project we will combine the recent advancements in machine learning and neural computation with the latest developments in neuromorphic computing technology to design autonomous systems that can express robust cognitive behavior while interacting with the environment, through the physics of their computing substrate. To achieve this we will embed in robotic platforms microelectronic neuromorphic processors and sensors that implement biophysically realistic neural computational primitives and dynamics. We will adopt active-sensing and on-line spike-based learning strategies, context and state-dependent computation, and probabilistic inference methods for ""programming"" these neuromorphic cognitive agents to solve challenging tasks in real-time. Our results will lead to compact low-power intelligent sensory-motor systems that will have a large impact on service and consumer robotics, Internet of Things, as well as prosthetics and personalized medicine."
"Neural networks and deep learning algorithms are currently achieving impressive state-of-the-art results. In parallel computational neuroscience has made tremendous progress with both theories of neural computation and with hardware implementations of dedicated brain-inspired computing platforms. However, despite this remarkable progress, today's artificial systems are still not able to compete with biological ones in tasks that involve processing of sensory data acquired in real-time, in complex and uncertain settings. One of the reasons is that neural computation in biological systems is very different from the way today's computers operate: it is tightly linked to the properties of their computational embodiment, to the physics of their computing elements and to their temporal dynamics. Conventional computers on the other hand operate with mainly serial and synchronous logic gates, with functions that are decoupled from their hardware implementation, and with discretized and virtual time. In this project we will combine the recent advancements in machine learning and neural computation with the latest developments in neuromorphic computing technology to design autonomous systems that can express robust cognitive behavior while interacting with the environment, through the physics of their computing substrate. To achieve this we will embed in robotic platforms microelectronic neuromorphic processors and sensors that implement biophysically realistic neural computational primitives and dynamics. We will adopt active-sensing and on-line spike-based learning strategies, context and state-dependent computation, and probabilistic inference methods for ""programming"" these neuromorphic cognitive agents to solve challenging tasks in real-time. Our results will lead to compact low-power intelligent sensory-motor systems that will have a large impact on service and consumer robotics, Internet of Things, as well as prosthetics and personalized medicine."
Project acronym NoLiMiTs
Project Novel Lifesaving Magnetic Tentacles
Researcher (PI) Pietro VALDASTRI
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
Summary The aim of this project is to characterize fundamental principles at the intersection of robotics, magnetics, manufacturing and medicine, which will enable intelligent tentacle-like robots to augment the capabilities of surgeons in reaching deep into the human anatomy through complex winding pathways and treat inoperable diseases. Magnetic tentacle robots, proposed here for the first time, have the potential to be thin, extremely soft and scalable, and to conform to curvilinear trajectories by leveraging magnetic control over their entire length. The surgeon needing to access difficult to reach targets such as peripheral nodules in the lungs, small diseased blood vessels and regions deep inside the brain, will be able to design personalised tentacles and fabricate them on demand. My world-leading research team in surgical robotics–to be further consolidated by this grant–will define and explore new robotic architectures, as well as the design and fabrication processes integral to this novel concept. Proprioceptive sensing, combined with mathematical models, will enable intelligent robotic control. Robotic assistance will be context dependent, ranging from joystick-based operation to autonomous control along pre-planned trajectories. An integrated design environment will help systematise and streamline implementation. The research programme consists of four work packages: 1) Robotic architectures and models; 2) Intelligence and control; 3) Rapid design, simulation and synthesis; and 4) Multi-scale experimental evaluation, embracing different scenarios where control over the entire body of the robot is crucial: lung biopsy, cardiovascular interventions and neurosurgery. This interdisciplinary research will strengthen Europe's position in medical robotics and improve public health by reducing patient recovery times, complication rates, and treatment costs, and ultimately saving the lives of patients suffering diseases that are inoperable—and often terminal—today.
The aim of this project is to characterize fundamental principles at the intersection of robotics, magnetics, manufacturing and medicine, which will enable intelligent tentacle-like robots to augment the capabilities of surgeons in reaching deep into the human anatomy through complex winding pathways and treat inoperable diseases. Magnetic tentacle robots, proposed here for the first time, have the potential to be thin, extremely soft and scalable, and to conform to curvilinear trajectories by leveraging magnetic control over their entire length. The surgeon needing to access difficult to reach targets such as peripheral nodules in the lungs, small diseased blood vessels and regions deep inside the brain, will be able to design personalised tentacles and fabricate them on demand. My world-leading research team in surgical robotics–to be further consolidated by this grant–will define and explore new robotic architectures, as well as the design and fabrication processes integral to this novel concept. Proprioceptive sensing, combined with mathematical models, will enable intelligent robotic control. Robotic assistance will be context dependent, ranging from joystick-based operation to autonomous control along pre-planned trajectories. An integrated design environment will help systematise and streamline implementation. The research programme consists of four work packages: 1) Robotic architectures and models; 2) Intelligence and control; 3) Rapid design, simulation and synthesis; and 4) Multi-scale experimental evaluation, embracing different scenarios where control over the entire body of the robot is crucial: lung biopsy, cardiovascular interventions and neurosurgery. This interdisciplinary research will strengthen Europe's position in medical robotics and improve public health by reducing patient recovery times, complication rates, and treatment costs, and ultimately saving the lives of patients suffering diseases that are inoperable—and often terminal—today.
Project acronym NOSUDEP
Project A Wearable Electronics Approach To Reduce Mortality in Epilepsy
Researcher (PI) Esther RODRIGUEZ-VILLEGAS
Host Institution (HI) IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Summary Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects approximately 1% of the population (or over 50 million people in the world). Europe alone is home to 6 million people that suffer from epilepsy with one new case every minute. In certain cases, healthy patients with epilepsy can die suddenly and unexpectedly. This is known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP kills thousands of people in Europe every year. Unfortunately the mechanisms of SUDEP are not known, which makes it unpredictable Individuals with refractory tonic-clonic or complex-partial seizures are at the highest risk of SUDEP. These comprise approximately one third of the population affected by epilepsy, i.e. in the order of 2 million people in Europe. The focus of this research project is to carry out multidisciplinary research on wearable medical technologies with the ultimate aim of helping to protect epilepsy patients from SUDEP, by automatically and reliably alerting carers of physiologically dangerous indicators that are known to be precursors of it. These technologies will also have the potential to facilitate clinical research that is not possible with existing physiological monitoring systems. This could further current understanding of the mechanisms as well as individual risks factors of SUDEP, and consequently lead to specific disease management, treatment and prevention strategies targeted to the individual patient. Additionally, the research work carried out in this project will be beneficial in a number of clinical contexts, including but not limited to: diagnosis of paediatric and adult sleep apnoea (affects 2-10% of the population, but less than 20% are diagnosed in developed countries due to lack of in-clinic resources), early warning scoring in hospitals (i.e. 80% of patients in hospital), asthma (334 million people in the world, ), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (64 million people in the world. 4th leading cause of death), and neonatal cot death (0.41% of babies)
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects approximately 1% of the population (or over 50 million people in the world). Europe alone is home to 6 million people that suffer from epilepsy with one new case every minute. In certain cases, healthy patients with epilepsy can die suddenly and unexpectedly. This is known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP kills thousands of people in Europe every year. Unfortunately the mechanisms of SUDEP are not known, which makes it unpredictable Individuals with refractory tonic-clonic or complex-partial seizures are at the highest risk of SUDEP. These comprise approximately one third of the population affected by epilepsy, i.e. in the order of 2 million people in Europe. The focus of this research project is to carry out multidisciplinary research on wearable medical technologies with the ultimate aim of helping to protect epilepsy patients from SUDEP, by automatically and reliably alerting carers of physiologically dangerous indicators that are known to be precursors of it. These technologies will also have the potential to facilitate clinical research that is not possible with existing physiological monitoring systems. This could further current understanding of the mechanisms as well as individual risks factors of SUDEP, and consequently lead to specific disease management, treatment and prevention strategies targeted to the individual patient. Additionally, the research work carried out in this project will be beneficial in a number of clinical contexts, including but not limited to: diagnosis of paediatric and adult sleep apnoea (affects 2-10% of the population, but less than 20% are diagnosed in developed countries due to lack of in-clinic resources), early warning scoring in hospitals (i.e. 80% of patients in hospital), asthma (334 million people in the world, ), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (64 million people in the world. 4th leading cause of death), and neonatal cot death (0.41% of babies)
Project acronym OptnanoATcryo
Project Optical nanoscopy at 1 nm resolution: far-field fluorescence control at cryogenic temperatures
Researcher (PI) Bernd Rieger
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
Summary Optical nanoscopy is a powerful technique used in biology to study subcellular structures and function via specifically targeted fluorescent labels. Localization microscopy in particular offers a much better resolution (~10-50 nm) than conventional microscopy (~250 nm) while being relatively undemanding on the experimental setup and the subsequent image analysis. The next revolution in imaging to 1 nm isotropic resolution in 3D must realize a big increase in the number of collected photons from single fluorescent emitters as well as in the labelling density. Only then can subcellular structures be imaged at the molecular level to study the molecular machinery of the cell. Notably observations of DNA conformation in 3D at such resolutions would be spectacular and enable investigation of biophysical models ranging from chromosomal DNA packaging to gene regulation. I propose a new imaging technique based on fluorescence control at cryogenic temperatures in combination with novel data driven super-resolution reconstruction schemes employing prior knowledge that promises this unprecedented optical far-field resolution. I introduce a twofold technical leap by i) much higher photon counts due to negligible photobleaching at cryogenic temperatures while maintaining the sparsity required for single emitter localization and ii) relaxing the required labelling density using a priori information and the averaging of many identical entities. Orientational blinking ensures single emitter localization via a combination of polarization sensitive excitation, detection and stimulated depletion and triplet state shelving. Biophysical models of cell structures and data driven priors mean that fewer samples are needed to fully describe a structure. In a larger perspective, the outcome of this research will enable the combination of structural cryo-electron microscopy imaging at subnanometer resolutions with functional fluorescent imaging at the nanometer scale.
Optical nanoscopy is a powerful technique used in biology to study subcellular structures and function via specifically targeted fluorescent labels. Localization microscopy in particular offers a much better resolution (~10-50 nm) than conventional microscopy (~250 nm) while being relatively undemanding on the experimental setup and the subsequent image analysis. The next revolution in imaging to 1 nm isotropic resolution in 3D must realize a big increase in the number of collected photons from single fluorescent emitters as well as in the labelling density. Only then can subcellular structures be imaged at the molecular level to study the molecular machinery of the cell. Notably observations of DNA conformation in 3D at such resolutions would be spectacular and enable investigation of biophysical models ranging from chromosomal DNA packaging to gene regulation. I propose a new imaging technique based on fluorescence control at cryogenic temperatures in combination with novel data driven super-resolution reconstruction schemes employing prior knowledge that promises this unprecedented optical far-field resolution. I introduce a twofold technical leap by i) much higher photon counts due to negligible photobleaching at cryogenic temperatures while maintaining the sparsity required for single emitter localization and ii) relaxing the required labelling density using a priori information and the averaging of many identical entities. Orientational blinking ensures single emitter localization via a combination of polarization sensitive excitation, detection and stimulated depletion and triplet state shelving. Biophysical models of cell structures and data driven priors mean that fewer samples are needed to fully describe a structure. In a larger perspective, the outcome of this research will enable the combination of structural cryo-electron microscopy imaging at subnanometer resolutions with functional fluorescent imaging at the nanometer scale.
Project acronym PEP2D
Project Printable Electronics on Paper through 2D materials based inks
Researcher (PI) Gianluca FIORI
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DI PISA
Summary The vision behind the PEP2D project is to pioneer the realization of fully printed electronic circuits on flexible substrates as paper, leveraging the exceptional electronic properties of inks based on novel two- dimensional materials (2DMs), and through the wide-spread and low-cost inkjet printing technology. The development of fully printed electronic systems on flexible substrates as paper could have an unpreceded economical and societal impact on the European Union. Unleashing the potential of this technology could open new and wide applications, ranging from bio (e.g., smart patches for biometric readings), to food/medicine quality control (e.g, smart tags for checking the breaking of cold chain), or to anti-counterfeiting of valuable goods, just to cite few. Actually, technology is endeavouring to implement the main building blocks for electronic applications in the fast-growing market of flexible electronics expected to expand to 42 B€ by 2021, but available materials are missing the long-term stability and reliability, and device performance can be further improved. From this perspective, it is compulsory to develop new materials, and device architectures able to allow the fully printing of a working electronic system. PEP2D aims at designing a library of inkjet-printed electronic devices (transistors, and all linear and nonlinear components) and circuits (digital logic, memory circuits, amplifiers, transmitters, receivers) enabled by 2DMs based inks, to be eventually obtained through the use of a single tool as the inkjet process, without the need of any additional fabrications steps (i.e., use of resists, etching etc.) and in air (not in glovebox). Such a goal will be achieved by means of the synergic and complementary activities pursued within the project and based on advanced modelling and design of inkjet-printed devices and circuits, which will lead the activity on the realization and measurements of printed electronic systems.
The vision behind the PEP2D project is to pioneer the realization of fully printed electronic circuits on flexible substrates as paper, leveraging the exceptional electronic properties of inks based on novel two- dimensional materials (2DMs), and through the wide-spread and low-cost inkjet printing technology. The development of fully printed electronic systems on flexible substrates as paper could have an unpreceded economical and societal impact on the European Union. Unleashing the potential of this technology could open new and wide applications, ranging from bio (e.g., smart patches for biometric readings), to food/medicine quality control (e.g, smart tags for checking the breaking of cold chain), or to anti-counterfeiting of valuable goods, just to cite few. Actually, technology is endeavouring to implement the main building blocks for electronic applications in the fast-growing market of flexible electronics expected to expand to 42 B€ by 2021, but available materials are missing the long-term stability and reliability, and device performance can be further improved. From this perspective, it is compulsory to develop new materials, and device architectures able to allow the fully printing of a working electronic system. PEP2D aims at designing a library of inkjet-printed electronic devices (transistors, and all linear and nonlinear components) and circuits (digital logic, memory circuits, amplifiers, transmitters, receivers) enabled by 2DMs based inks, to be eventually obtained through the use of a single tool as the inkjet process, without the need of any additional fabrications steps (i.e., use of resists, etching etc.) and in air (not in glovebox). Such a goal will be achieved by means of the synergic and complementary activities pursued within the project and based on advanced modelling and design of inkjet-printed devices and circuits, which will lead the activity on the realization and measurements of printed electronic systems.
Project acronym PHOENEEX
Project Pyrolytic Hierarchical Organic Electrodes for sustaiNable Electrochemical Energy Systems
Researcher (PI) Stephan Sylvest Keller
Summary The demand for compact energy systems for portable devices such as wearable sensors or mobile phones is increasing. Electrochemical systems are promising candidates for sustainable energy conversion and storage on miniaturised platforms. A recent approach to harvest green energy is biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs), where photosynthetic microorganisms are used to transform light into electrical energy. However, BPVs still provide a relatively low efficiency and are yet unable to deliver the high peak power required for sensor operation or wireless signal transmission in portable systems. In PHOENEEX, I will address these limitations by i) improving the efficiency of BPVs and ii) combining the BPVs with microsupercapacitors (µSCs) which can temporarily store the harvested electrical energy and provide a higher peak power output upon request. More specifically, I will develop highly optimised 3D carbon microelectrodes (3DCMEs) to enhance electron harvesting from cyanobacteria in BPVs and for increased energy density in µSCs. Finally, the improved BPVs and the optimised µSCs will be integrated on the BioCapacitor Microchip - a compact sustainable energy platform for portable systems. The fabrication of 3DCMEs with highly tailored material properties, large surface area and hierarchical architecture is achieved by pyrolysis of polymer templates in an inert atmosphere. The fundamental hypothesis of PHOENEEX is that the combination of novel precursor materials, new methods for 3D polymer microfabrication and optimised pyrolysis processes will allow for fabrication of 3DCMEs with highly tailored material properties, large surface area and hierarchical architecture impossible to obtain with any other method.
The demand for compact energy systems for portable devices such as wearable sensors or mobile phones is increasing. Electrochemical systems are promising candidates for sustainable energy conversion and storage on miniaturised platforms. A recent approach to harvest green energy is biophotovoltaic systems (BPVs), where photosynthetic microorganisms are used to transform light into electrical energy. However, BPVs still provide a relatively low efficiency and are yet unable to deliver the high peak power required for sensor operation or wireless signal transmission in portable systems. In PHOENEEX, I will address these limitations by i) improving the efficiency of BPVs and ii) combining the BPVs with microsupercapacitors (µSCs) which can temporarily store the harvested electrical energy and provide a higher peak power output upon request. More specifically, I will develop highly optimised 3D carbon microelectrodes (3DCMEs) to enhance electron harvesting from cyanobacteria in BPVs and for increased energy density in µSCs. Finally, the improved BPVs and the optimised µSCs will be integrated on the BioCapacitor Microchip - a compact sustainable energy platform for portable systems. The fabrication of 3DCMEs with highly tailored material properties, large surface area and hierarchical architecture is achieved by pyrolysis of polymer templates in an inert atmosphere. The fundamental hypothesis of PHOENEEX is that the combination of novel precursor materials, new methods for 3D polymer microfabrication and optimised pyrolysis processes will allow for fabrication of 3DCMEs with highly tailored material properties, large surface area and hierarchical architecture impossible to obtain with any other method.
Project acronym PhotonICSWARM
Project Photonic Integrated Circuits using Scattered Waveguide elements in an Adaptive, Reconfigurable Mesh.
Researcher (PI) Wim BOGAERTS
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Summary In PhotonICSWARM, I will use silicon photonics technology to build general-purpose, programmable optical chips that rely on topologies of distributed waveguide circuits governed by distributed control algorithms. In silicon photonics, optical signals are transported along waveguides on photonic integrated circuits and processed by elements that filter specific wavelengths or modulate signals. Silicon photonics is the choice technology for high-speed communication links, but also for different types of sensors. However, photonic circuits are still very simple compared to today's electronics, because they use connectivity topologies where light follows a single path. The optical chip concepts I propose in PhotonICSWARM start from radically different topologies, which will allow 1-2 orders of magnitude scaling in complexity. They are based on tightly interconnected, distributed optical signal paths. This high connectivity will enable much more complex optical functions, and to realise these I will apply adaptive, distributed control algorithms. I will explore different optical waveguide concepts: waveguide meshes, phased arrays, lattices of resonators, lateral leakage and 2-D holographic gratings. These will be fabricated on existing state-of-the-art technology platforms, so PhotonICSWARM will rather revolve around the theory, simulation, design and characterisation methodologies. With these distributed photonic circuits I will create programmable photonics that can be applied for many applications, as the optical equivalent of electronic field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA). They can enable on-chip parallel optical signal processing for pattern recognition or real-time encryption of high-bitrate optical data streams. Programmable circuits can speed up the research cycle, taking much less time to test new photonic chip concepts, and over time make integrated photonics accessible to the 'Maker community'.
In PhotonICSWARM, I will use silicon photonics technology to build general-purpose, programmable optical chips that rely on topologies of distributed waveguide circuits governed by distributed control algorithms. In silicon photonics, optical signals are transported along waveguides on photonic integrated circuits and processed by elements that filter specific wavelengths or modulate signals. Silicon photonics is the choice technology for high-speed communication links, but also for different types of sensors. However, photonic circuits are still very simple compared to today's electronics, because they use connectivity topologies where light follows a single path. The optical chip concepts I propose in PhotonICSWARM start from radically different topologies, which will allow 1-2 orders of magnitude scaling in complexity. They are based on tightly interconnected, distributed optical signal paths. This high connectivity will enable much more complex optical functions, and to realise these I will apply adaptive, distributed control algorithms. I will explore different optical waveguide concepts: waveguide meshes, phased arrays, lattices of resonators, lateral leakage and 2-D holographic gratings. These will be fabricated on existing state-of-the-art technology platforms, so PhotonICSWARM will rather revolve around the theory, simulation, design and characterisation methodologies. With these distributed photonic circuits I will create programmable photonics that can be applied for many applications, as the optical equivalent of electronic field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA). They can enable on-chip parallel optical signal processing for pattern recognition or real-time encryption of high-bitrate optical data streams. Programmable circuits can speed up the research cycle, taking much less time to test new photonic chip concepts, and over time make integrated photonics accessible to the 'Maker community'.
Project acronym PISSARRO
Project Photonic integrated devices for second order nonlinear optical processes
Researcher (PI) Camille Sophie BRES ep. TREMBLAY
Summary Second order nonlinear processes, such as second-harmonic or difference-frequency generation, are key for frequency metrology and quantum optics applications. The successful integration of such functionalities, consequential of material 2nd order nonlinear susceptibility χ(2), is essential to obtain compact and low power devices. Unfortunately embedding 2nd order nonlinear effects on chip poses a fundamental challenge captured by the following dogma: materials with the best photonic integration capabilities exhibit negligible χ(2). Recent research by the PI proves this dogma flawed and shows that 2nd order nonlinearities can be unlocked in silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides by all-optical means, a result that is a significant departure from other existing approaches. PISSARRO will develop waveguides for χ(2) based effects and confront the limitations imposed by fabrication, resonant structures, or phase-matching constraints, thus seeking optimal trade-offs. By leveraging the linear properties and fabrication flexibility of SiN waveguides, the synergy between optically induced electric field from multi-photon absorption, large material 3rd order nonlinearity and waveguide engineering will be exploited, to overcome the initial low efficiency. The objectives are far beyond the state-of-the-art by providing all-optical control, flexibility and extended operation bandwidth. The project will build on the in-depth optical characterization of the microscopic nature of optically-induced 2nd order nonlinearity in SiN to take integrated 2nd order nonlinear devices to new frontiers. PISSARRO promises substantial impact in the domains of communication, metrology and quantum optics by providing novel CMOS-compatible photonic devices. Designed waveguides will not only lead to the integration of stabilized octave spanning combs for precise frequency references, but also introduce a path towards dynamic on-chip quantum state generation and unconstrained frequency conversion.
Second order nonlinear processes, such as second-harmonic or difference-frequency generation, are key for frequency metrology and quantum optics applications. The successful integration of such functionalities, consequential of material 2nd order nonlinear susceptibility χ(2), is essential to obtain compact and low power devices. Unfortunately embedding 2nd order nonlinear effects on chip poses a fundamental challenge captured by the following dogma: materials with the best photonic integration capabilities exhibit negligible χ(2). Recent research by the PI proves this dogma flawed and shows that 2nd order nonlinearities can be unlocked in silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides by all-optical means, a result that is a significant departure from other existing approaches. PISSARRO will develop waveguides for χ(2) based effects and confront the limitations imposed by fabrication, resonant structures, or phase-matching constraints, thus seeking optimal trade-offs. By leveraging the linear properties and fabrication flexibility of SiN waveguides, the synergy between optically induced electric field from multi-photon absorption, large material 3rd order nonlinearity and waveguide engineering will be exploited, to overcome the initial low efficiency. The objectives are far beyond the state-of-the-art by providing all-optical control, flexibility and extended operation bandwidth. The project will build on the in-depth optical characterization of the microscopic nature of optically-induced 2nd order nonlinearity in SiN to take integrated 2nd order nonlinear devices to new frontiers. PISSARRO promises substantial impact in the domains of communication, metrology and quantum optics by providing novel CMOS-compatible photonic devices. Designed waveguides will not only lead to the integration of stabilized octave spanning combs for precise frequency references, but also introduce a path towards dynamic on-chip quantum state generation and unconstrained frequency conversion.
Project acronym POPSTAR
Project Low power consumption silicon optoelectronics based on strain and refractive index engineering
Researcher (PI) Laurent Jacques Daniel Vivien
Summary The POPSTAR project aims at building a new class of silicon optoelectronic devices based on nonlinear optical effects for the development of high speed multiple wavelength photonic circuits in the near-IR wavelength range for data communication applications including optical interconnects and high performance computing systems. Three major cornerstones will be developed: (i) a 40Gbit/s optical modulators based on Pockels effect with energy consumption and swing voltage lower than 1fJ/bit and 1V, respectively, (ii) a high responsivity, low dark-current, low bias voltage and high bandwidth (40Gbit/s) Si photodetector based on two-photon-absorption and (iii) a low threshold (<10dBm) tunable optical parametric oscillator source based on frequency comb generation. The ground-breaking concept of the project is to generate 3D strains in sub-wavelength silicon photonic nano-structures leading to significant breakthroughs in second-order nonlinearities efficiency (Pockels effect) and in the band-gap energy changes in order to increase or decrease two photon absorption process in silicon. The new approach developed here is to combine (i) strain engineering generated by functional oxide materials including YSZ, SrTiO3, SrHfO3 which exhibit more appropriate strain-induced characteristics in silicon than the use of silicon nitride and (ii) refractive index engineering using sub-wavelength silicon nanostructures. Generation of tunable strains in silicon with an active control using piezoelectric materials including PZT will be also develop to control the light dispersion. Each of the three optoelectronic silicon building blocks would be world's first demonstration according to the target performances and the used effects. Indeed, the performance targets cannot be achieved with the current state of scientific and technological backgrounds. Finally, the project will open new horizons in the field of strained sub-wavelength silicon photonics in the near-IR wavelength range.
The POPSTAR project aims at building a new class of silicon optoelectronic devices based on nonlinear optical effects for the development of high speed multiple wavelength photonic circuits in the near-IR wavelength range for data communication applications including optical interconnects and high performance computing systems. Three major cornerstones will be developed: (i) a 40Gbit/s optical modulators based on Pockels effect with energy consumption and swing voltage lower than 1fJ/bit and 1V, respectively, (ii) a high responsivity, low dark-current, low bias voltage and high bandwidth (40Gbit/s) Si photodetector based on two-photon-absorption and (iii) a low threshold (<10dBm) tunable optical parametric oscillator source based on frequency comb generation. The ground-breaking concept of the project is to generate 3D strains in sub-wavelength silicon photonic nano-structures leading to significant breakthroughs in second-order nonlinearities efficiency (Pockels effect) and in the band-gap energy changes in order to increase or decrease two photon absorption process in silicon. The new approach developed here is to combine (i) strain engineering generated by functional oxide materials including YSZ, SrTiO3, SrHfO3 which exhibit more appropriate strain-induced characteristics in silicon than the use of silicon nitride and (ii) refractive index engineering using sub-wavelength silicon nanostructures. Generation of tunable strains in silicon with an active control using piezoelectric materials including PZT will be also develop to control the light dispersion. Each of the three optoelectronic silicon building blocks would be world's first demonstration according to the target performances and the used effects. Indeed, the performance targets cannot be achieved with the current state of scientific and technological backgrounds. Finally, the project will open new horizons in the field of strained sub-wavelength silicon photonics in the near-IR wavelength range.
Project acronym PROCSYS
Project Towards programmable cyber-physical systems: a symbolic control approach
Researcher (PI) Antoine, Sébastien GIRARD
Summary Cyber-physical systems (CPS) consist of computational elements monitoring and controlling physical entities. The main objective of the PROCSYS project is to propose a general framework for the design of programmable CPS that will allow engineers to develop advanced functionalities using a high-level programming language for specifying the behaviours of a CPS while abstracting the details of the physical dynamics. Controllers enforcing the specified behaviours will be generated from a high-level program using an automated model-based synthesis tool. Correctness of the controllers will be guaranteed by following the correct by construction synthesis paradigm through the use of symbolic control techniques: the continuous physical dynamics is abstracted by a symbolic model, which is a purely discrete dynamical system; an interface consisting of low-level controllers is designed such that the physical system and the symbolic model behaves identically; a high-level symbolic controller is then synthesized automatically from the high-level program and the symbolic model. We will develop a high-level programming language, based on the intuitive formalism of hybrid automata, which will enable to specify a rich set of behaviours while enabling the development of efficient controller synthesis algorithms. The project will also tackle the two main bottlenecks in the area of symbolic control, which will enable its use in challenging real-life applications. Firstly, scalability of symbolic control will be achieved by the computation of more compact symbolic models and by controller synthesis algorithms that require only partial exploration of the symbolic models. Secondly, robustness will be ensured at all levels of control by developing novel algorithms for the synthesis of robust interfaces and of symbolic controllers. The algorithms developed in the project will be implemented in a symbolic control toolbox, which will enable the use of our approach by systems engineers.
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) consist of computational elements monitoring and controlling physical entities. The main objective of the PROCSYS project is to propose a general framework for the design of programmable CPS that will allow engineers to develop advanced functionalities using a high-level programming language for specifying the behaviours of a CPS while abstracting the details of the physical dynamics. Controllers enforcing the specified behaviours will be generated from a high-level program using an automated model-based synthesis tool. Correctness of the controllers will be guaranteed by following the correct by construction synthesis paradigm through the use of symbolic control techniques: the continuous physical dynamics is abstracted by a symbolic model, which is a purely discrete dynamical system; an interface consisting of low-level controllers is designed such that the physical system and the symbolic model behaves identically; a high-level symbolic controller is then synthesized automatically from the high-level program and the symbolic model. We will develop a high-level programming language, based on the intuitive formalism of hybrid automata, which will enable to specify a rich set of behaviours while enabling the development of efficient controller synthesis algorithms. The project will also tackle the two main bottlenecks in the area of symbolic control, which will enable its use in challenging real-life applications. Firstly, scalability of symbolic control will be achieved by the computation of more compact symbolic models and by controller synthesis algorithms that require only partial exploration of the symbolic models. Secondly, robustness will be ensured at all levels of control by developing novel algorithms for the synthesis of robust interfaces and of symbolic controllers. The algorithms developed in the project will be implemented in a symbolic control toolbox, which will enable the use of our approach by systems engineers.
Project acronym PROJESTOR
Project PROJECTED MEMRISTOR: A nanoscale device for cognitive computing
Researcher (PI) Abu Sebastian
Host Institution (HI) IBM RESEARCH GMBH
Summary We are entering the third era of computing: cognitive computing, which holds great promise in terms of deriving intelligence/knowledge from huge volumes of data. Today's cognitive computers are based on the von Neumann architecture, in which the computing and the memory units are separated. Cognitive computing, however, is inherently data-centric, meaning that huge amounts of data need to be shuttled back and forth at high speeds, a task at which that architecture is highly inefficient. It is becoming increasingly clear that to build efficient cognitive computers, we need to transition to non-von Neumann architectures where memory and logic coexist in some form. Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing and the fascinating new area of memcomputing are two key non-von Neumann approaches being researched. The critical element in these novel computing paradigms is a very-high-density, low power, variable-state, programmable and non-volatile nanoscale memory device. A technological breakthrough that will lead us to this device will be a game-changer for cognitive computing. The goal of this project is to explore one such device concept that I co-invented at IBM Research - Zurich and which we have dubbed "projected memristor" or "projestor" for short. The projestor is indeed a memristor, i.e., a resistive element that remembers the history of the current that previously flowed through the device. The distinguishing feature of a projestor is that the physical mechanism of resistance storage is decoupled from the information retrieval process. In the first part of the project, we will design and fabricate projestor devices to establish the concept of projection and assess its merits and drawbacks. In the second part, we will expand the concept substantially to explore highly innovative projestor devices. In the third part, we will explore various applications of projestors in neuromorphic computing and memcomputing, with a particular focus on real-time data analytics.
We are entering the third era of computing: cognitive computing, which holds great promise in terms of deriving intelligence/knowledge from huge volumes of data. Today's cognitive computers are based on the von Neumann architecture, in which the computing and the memory units are separated. Cognitive computing, however, is inherently data-centric, meaning that huge amounts of data need to be shuttled back and forth at high speeds, a task at which that architecture is highly inefficient. It is becoming increasingly clear that to build efficient cognitive computers, we need to transition to non-von Neumann architectures where memory and logic coexist in some form. Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing and the fascinating new area of memcomputing are two key non-von Neumann approaches being researched. The critical element in these novel computing paradigms is a very-high-density, low power, variable-state, programmable and non-volatile nanoscale memory device. A technological breakthrough that will lead us to this device will be a game-changer for cognitive computing. The goal of this project is to explore one such device concept that I co-invented at IBM Research - Zurich and which we have dubbed "projected memristor" or "projestor" for short. The projestor is indeed a memristor, i.e., a resistive element that remembers the history of the current that previously flowed through the device. The distinguishing feature of a projestor is that the physical mechanism of resistance storage is decoupled from the information retrieval process. In the first part of the project, we will design and fabricate projestor devices to establish the concept of projection and assess its merits and drawbacks. In the second part, we will expand the concept substantially to explore highly innovative projestor devices. In the third part, we will explore various applications of projestors in neuromorphic computing and memcomputing, with a particular focus on real-time data analytics.
Project acronym QUANTUMMETALINK
Project Quantum Metamaterials: A Theoretical and Computational Approach Towards Seamlessly Integrated Hybrid Classical/Quantum Nano-structures
Researcher (PI) Nicolae Coriolan Panoiu
Summary The overarching aim of this proposal is to initiate and advance an integrated theoretical and computational research programme in an emerging area of metamaterials research, namely Quantum Metamaterials. Thus, it is commonly believed that one of the most noteworthy developments witnessed in the last decade in physical sciences and engineering is the emergence of metamaterials. Unlike ordinary materials, which are assembled at the atomic level, metamaterials are composite materials built up from artificially engineered meta-atoms and meta-molecules. The fundamental idea in this area of research is that remarkable physical properties beyond those available in naturally occurring materials can be achieved by designing the meta-constituents of the metamaterial and structuring it at a scale comparable or smaller than the optical wavelength. In this context, a new paradigm in metamaterials research emerges when the building blocks of metamaterials are quantum resonators, e.g., quantum dots (QDs), QD molecules, graphene disks coupled to interacting QDs, and quantum nanowires, case in which the macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials are determined by the quantum properties of their basic constituents. We have organised this research programme along three broad, synergistically integrated themes. The first will focus on the development of a general theory of the effective, macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials. The key challenge is to build a theoretical framework in which the macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials are derived directly from those of their quantum building blocks. The second theme will be geared towards developing a set of numerical methods and software tools for ab initio simulations of fundamental physical properties quantum metamaterials. The foundational work pertaining to the first two themes will enable us to pursue the main objective of the third theme, which is the exploration of new science and novel applications.
The overarching aim of this proposal is to initiate and advance an integrated theoretical and computational research programme in an emerging area of metamaterials research, namely Quantum Metamaterials. Thus, it is commonly believed that one of the most noteworthy developments witnessed in the last decade in physical sciences and engineering is the emergence of metamaterials. Unlike ordinary materials, which are assembled at the atomic level, metamaterials are composite materials built up from artificially engineered meta-atoms and meta-molecules. The fundamental idea in this area of research is that remarkable physical properties beyond those available in naturally occurring materials can be achieved by designing the meta-constituents of the metamaterial and structuring it at a scale comparable or smaller than the optical wavelength. In this context, a new paradigm in metamaterials research emerges when the building blocks of metamaterials are quantum resonators, e.g., quantum dots (QDs), QD molecules, graphene disks coupled to interacting QDs, and quantum nanowires, case in which the macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials are determined by the quantum properties of their basic constituents. We have organised this research programme along three broad, synergistically integrated themes. The first will focus on the development of a general theory of the effective, macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials. The key challenge is to build a theoretical framework in which the macroscopic properties of quantum metamaterials are derived directly from those of their quantum building blocks. The second theme will be geared towards developing a set of numerical methods and software tools for ab initio simulations of fundamental physical properties quantum metamaterials. The foundational work pertaining to the first two themes will enable us to pursue the main objective of the third theme, which is the exploration of new science and novel applications.
Project acronym REMINISCENCE
Project REflection Matrix ImagiNg In wave SCiENCE
Researcher (PI) Alexandre AUBRY
Summary In wave imaging, we aim at characterizing an unknown environment by actively probing it and then recording the waves reflected by the medium. It is, for example, the principle of ultrasound imaging, optical coherence tomography for light or reflection seismology in geophysics. However, wave propagation from the sensors to the focal plane is often degraded by the heterogeneities of the medium itself. They can induce wave-front distortions (aberrations) and multiple scattering events that can strongly degrade the resolution and the contrast of the image. Aberration and multiple scattering thus constitute the most fundamental limits for imaging in all domains of wave physics. However, the emergence of large-scale sensors array and recent advances in data science pave the way towards a next revolution in wave imaging. In that context, I want to develop a universal matrix approach of wave imaging in heterogeneous media. Such a formalism is actually the perfect tool to capture the input-output correlations of the wave-field with a large network of sensors. This matrix approach will allow to overcome aberrations over large imaging volumes, thus breaking the field-of-view limitations of conventional adaptive focusing methods. It will also lead to the following paradigm shift in wave imaging: Whereas multiple scattering is generally seen as a nightmare for imaging, the matrix approach will take advantage of it for ultra-deep imaging. Besides direct imaging applications, this project will also provide a high-resolution tomography of the wave velocity and a promising characterization tool based on multiple scattering quantification. Based on all these advances, the ultimate goal of this project will be to develop an information theory of wave imaging. Throughout this project, I will apply all these concepts both in optics (for in-depth imaging of biological tissues), ultrasound imaging (for medical diagnosis) and seismology (for monitoring of volcanoes and fault zones).
In wave imaging, we aim at characterizing an unknown environment by actively probing it and then recording the waves reflected by the medium. It is, for example, the principle of ultrasound imaging, optical coherence tomography for light or reflection seismology in geophysics. However, wave propagation from the sensors to the focal plane is often degraded by the heterogeneities of the medium itself. They can induce wave-front distortions (aberrations) and multiple scattering events that can strongly degrade the resolution and the contrast of the image. Aberration and multiple scattering thus constitute the most fundamental limits for imaging in all domains of wave physics. However, the emergence of large-scale sensors array and recent advances in data science pave the way towards a next revolution in wave imaging. In that context, I want to develop a universal matrix approach of wave imaging in heterogeneous media. Such a formalism is actually the perfect tool to capture the input-output correlations of the wave-field with a large network of sensors. This matrix approach will allow to overcome aberrations over large imaging volumes, thus breaking the field-of-view limitations of conventional adaptive focusing methods. It will also lead to the following paradigm shift in wave imaging: Whereas multiple scattering is generally seen as a nightmare for imaging, the matrix approach will take advantage of it for ultra-deep imaging. Besides direct imaging applications, this project will also provide a high-resolution tomography of the wave velocity and a promising characterization tool based on multiple scattering quantification. Based on all these advances, the ultimate goal of this project will be to develop an information theory of wave imaging. Throughout this project, I will apply all these concepts both in optics (for in-depth imaging of biological tissues), ultrasound imaging (for medical diagnosis) and seismology (for monitoring of volcanoes and fault zones).
Project acronym RENOS
Project Rare earth doped novel on-chip sources
Researcher (PI) Sonia Maria Garcia blanco
Summary The development of compact, low cost, power efficient, tunable lasers and frequency combs spanning large bandwidths, exhibiting excellent output beam characteristics, such as the ones achieved in solid-state sources, and expanding the wavelength ranges of by typical solid-state materials, will greatly benefit application fields such as optical sensing, spectroscopy, metrology and telecommunications. In this research program, I propose to study the generation of novel frequencies and frequency combs by stimulated Raman scattering and four-wave mixing in high-contrast waveguides in rare-earth-doped potassium double tungstates materials (RE:KYW) by exploiting both their excellent optical gain properties as well as their large non-linear index of refraction. We have recently demonstrated an enormous modal gain in an Yb3+:KYW waveguide amplifier (i.e., ~1000 dB/cm) as well as very efficient (>80%) high power (~1.6 W) laser generation in a Tm3+:KYW waveguide, with broad tunability. However, the low-contrast waveguides utilized have a large modal area (>25 um2) and high bend losses. High-contrast waveguides in RE:KYW have negligible bend losses for radii over 5 um. The introduction of a thin metal layer underneath the dielectric core reduces the total bend losses for very sharp bends. The higher field intensity together with the use of resonant structures (i.e., microrings), makes this waveguide platform ideal to study non-linear phenomena. The great technological challenges lie on the development of very low-loss microring resonators with highly controlled vertical coupling to passive bus waveguides, with the correct chromatic dispersion and very confined modal field and their combination with plasmonics. A successful development of this technology will pave the road to great scientific advancements as well as a new generation of compact on-chip solid-state laser sources that will open new horizons in the aforementioned application fields.
The development of compact, low cost, power efficient, tunable lasers and frequency combs spanning large bandwidths, exhibiting excellent output beam characteristics, such as the ones achieved in solid-state sources, and expanding the wavelength ranges of by typical solid-state materials, will greatly benefit application fields such as optical sensing, spectroscopy, metrology and telecommunications. In this research program, I propose to study the generation of novel frequencies and frequency combs by stimulated Raman scattering and four-wave mixing in high-contrast waveguides in rare-earth-doped potassium double tungstates materials (RE:KYW) by exploiting both their excellent optical gain properties as well as their large non-linear index of refraction. We have recently demonstrated an enormous modal gain in an Yb3+:KYW waveguide amplifier (i.e., ~1000 dB/cm) as well as very efficient (>80%) high power (~1.6 W) laser generation in a Tm3+:KYW waveguide, with broad tunability. However, the low-contrast waveguides utilized have a large modal area (>25 um2) and high bend losses. High-contrast waveguides in RE:KYW have negligible bend losses for radii over 5 um. The introduction of a thin metal layer underneath the dielectric core reduces the total bend losses for very sharp bends. The higher field intensity together with the use of resonant structures (i.e., microrings), makes this waveguide platform ideal to study non-linear phenomena. The great technological challenges lie on the development of very low-loss microring resonators with highly controlled vertical coupling to passive bus waveguides, with the correct chromatic dispersion and very confined modal field and their combination with plasmonics. A successful development of this technology will pave the road to great scientific advancements as well as a new generation of compact on-chip solid-state laser sources that will open new horizons in the aforementioned application fields.
Project acronym RESCUE
Project REsistive-Switch CompUting bEyond CMOS
Researcher (PI) Daniele IELMINI
Host Institution (HI) POLITECNICO DI MILANO
Summary Digital computers rely today on CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) technology, which improves its performance every generation thanks to the Moore's law of downscaling. As CMOS transistor size approaches few nm, alternative logic switches with better scaling capability must be identified to prolong Moore's law beyond CMOS. Among the emerging switching concepts, resistive switching (RS) devices can change their resistance by electrically-induced redox reactions. RS provides the basis for the resistive memory (ReRAM) technology which is currently investigated as future computer memory and storage technology. The objective of this project is to design, develop and demonstrate a novel computing paradigm based on RS devices. The project will pursue this objective at 3 levels of increasing complexity, namely the device fabrication, the design of new logic gates and the demonstration of computing circuits. RS logic will be finally compared to CMOS and other approaches to identify the strength and the potential applications of RS logic in the computing scenario.
Digital computers rely today on CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) technology, which improves its performance every generation thanks to the Moore's law of downscaling. As CMOS transistor size approaches few nm, alternative logic switches with better scaling capability must be identified to prolong Moore's law beyond CMOS. Among the emerging switching concepts, resistive switching (RS) devices can change their resistance by electrically-induced redox reactions. RS provides the basis for the resistive memory (ReRAM) technology which is currently investigated as future computer memory and storage technology. The objective of this project is to design, develop and demonstrate a novel computing paradigm based on RS devices. The project will pursue this objective at 3 levels of increasing complexity, namely the device fabrication, the design of new logic gates and the demonstration of computing circuits. RS logic will be finally compared to CMOS and other approaches to identify the strength and the potential applications of RS logic in the computing scenario.
Project acronym SCALPEL
Project A Single Cell AnaLysis and Sorting Platform based on Lensfree digital imaging techniques applied to Rapid Detection of Cancer
Researcher (PI) Liesbet Lagae
Host Institution (HI) INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM
Summary "Metastasis is responsible for > 90% of cancer-related deaths. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to cure primary tumors but very little was spent in trying to detect or kill the highly aggressive tumor cells that cause disease spreading. One of the reasons is that single cell studies of rare cells in blood still present a large challenge. Single cell analysis remains tedious with many different instruments and protocols, typically taking a few days of hands-on work. This slows down research, but also hinders the translation to application in future clinical practice. In SCALPEL, we envisage a high-content, high-throughput cell imaging and sorting platform, more compact and easier to use than any existing single cell analyzer. The high content results from lensfree digital imaging of single cells on a high speed CMOS active optical pixel matrix to analyze the morphology of cells. The high throughput results from a highly parallelized fluidic matrix that steers cells at high speed over the CMOS imaging blocks. Lensfree cell sorters can be realized in a cheap and compact platform, as all optomechanical components (lenses, detectors, nozzles,...) are replaced by nanoelectronics, advanced imaging and signal processing technology. SCALPEL aims to perform a full feasibility study of this concept and will require to investigate the ultimate limits in: 1) maximizing image resolution and sensitivity to single cell morphological features obtained via lensfree holographic imaging; 2) maximizing cell manipulation speed in microfluidic systems via a high degree of parallelization; and 3) digital image signal processing with extremely low latency at reasonable power consumption. If this multidisciplinary complexity can be understood, we will have built the components for different versions of compact cytometers that can be used at hand of pathologist, surgeons, and nurses for improving the individualized follow-up and survival rate of cancer patients."
"Metastasis is responsible for > 90% of cancer-related deaths. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to cure primary tumors but very little was spent in trying to detect or kill the highly aggressive tumor cells that cause disease spreading. One of the reasons is that single cell studies of rare cells in blood still present a large challenge. Single cell analysis remains tedious with many different instruments and protocols, typically taking a few days of hands-on work. This slows down research, but also hinders the translation to application in future clinical practice. In SCALPEL, we envisage a high-content, high-throughput cell imaging and sorting platform, more compact and easier to use than any existing single cell analyzer. The high content results from lensfree digital imaging of single cells on a high speed CMOS active optical pixel matrix to analyze the morphology of cells. The high throughput results from a highly parallelized fluidic matrix that steers cells at high speed over the CMOS imaging blocks. Lensfree cell sorters can be realized in a cheap and compact platform, as all optomechanical components (lenses, detectors, nozzles,...) are replaced by nanoelectronics, advanced imaging and signal processing technology. SCALPEL aims to perform a full feasibility study of this concept and will require to investigate the ultimate limits in: 1) maximizing image resolution and sensitivity to single cell morphological features obtained via lensfree holographic imaging; 2) maximizing cell manipulation speed in microfluidic systems via a high degree of parallelization; and 3) digital image signal processing with extremely low latency at reasonable power consumption. If this multidisciplinary complexity can be understood, we will have built the components for different versions of compact cytometers that can be used at hand of pathologist, surgeons, and nurses for improving the individualized follow-up and survival rate of cancer patients."
Project acronym SCATTERERID
Project Analysis and synthesis of wideband scattered signals from finite-size targets – aspect-independent RF analog footprint
Researcher (PI) Etienne Francois Noël Perret
Host Institution (HI) INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE GRENOBLE
Summary The need for information identification and capture is a matter of prime importance in modern societies. Every sectors of society rely on the identification of data exchanged, the updating of the data recorded on a tag and the measurement of physical parameters. The ability to make objects interact with one another or with humans is an important factor in many applications, all the more so if this interaction can occur without human presence. The way to reduce power consumption, improve the communication quality-of-service and enhance connectivity has become key issues for lots of industries. Researchers need to consider the multiple factors simultaneously to design state-of-the-art RF devices for the next generation of identification services. One important direction is to develop low-power, low cost tags for wireless identification and sensing. Lots of improvements have been done today on communication systems based on electronic devices where an integrated circuit is at the heart of the whole system. The democratisation of these chipped based systems like the RFID one will give rise to environmental issues in the future. However, these improvements pave the way for the development of new concepts based on approaches where the presence of the chip is not mandatory. These approaches are based on radar or reflectometry principles; these are non-invasive techniques but they require specific theoretical and practical developments. The difficulty is to be able to retrieve a small signal coming from a totally passive label placed in an unknown and movable environment. The objective of this project is to introduce the paradigm of RF communication system based on chipless labels, i.e. tags without any chip, bringing an ID, able to communicate with radio waves and having extremely low costs. This project aims at showing that it is possible to associate the paper based chipless label ID with other features like the ability to write and rewrite the ID, or a sensor function.
The need for information identification and capture is a matter of prime importance in modern societies. Every sectors of society rely on the identification of data exchanged, the updating of the data recorded on a tag and the measurement of physical parameters. The ability to make objects interact with one another or with humans is an important factor in many applications, all the more so if this interaction can occur without human presence. The way to reduce power consumption, improve the communication quality-of-service and enhance connectivity has become key issues for lots of industries. Researchers need to consider the multiple factors simultaneously to design state-of-the-art RF devices for the next generation of identification services. One important direction is to develop low-power, low cost tags for wireless identification and sensing. Lots of improvements have been done today on communication systems based on electronic devices where an integrated circuit is at the heart of the whole system. The democratisation of these chipped based systems like the RFID one will give rise to environmental issues in the future. However, these improvements pave the way for the development of new concepts based on approaches where the presence of the chip is not mandatory. These approaches are based on radar or reflectometry principles; these are non-invasive techniques but they require specific theoretical and practical developments. The difficulty is to be able to retrieve a small signal coming from a totally passive label placed in an unknown and movable environment. The objective of this project is to introduce the paradigm of RF communication system based on chipless labels, i.e. tags without any chip, bringing an ID, able to communicate with radio waves and having extremely low costs. This project aims at showing that it is possible to associate the paper based chipless label ID with other features like the ability to write and rewrite the ID, or a sensor function.
Project acronym SEARCHLIGHT
Project A new communication paradigm for future very high speed wireless networks
Researcher (PI) Joerg Carsten Widmer
Host Institution (HI) FUNDACION IMDEA NETWORKS
Summary "Due to the tremendous growth in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and laptops over the past years, a larger and larger fraction of Internet traffic is delivered wirelessly. Dealing with this vast increase in traffic is one of the most important challenges for future wireless networks. State-of-the-art wireless communication already operates close to Shannon capacity. The only viable option to further increase data rates is to use high bandwidth channels in the very high frequency part of the radio spectrum. However, this spectrum suffers from high attenuation and signal absorption, restricting communication primarily to line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios. This in turn requires a radical rethinking of wireless networking. We envision that future wireless networks will consist of many highly directional LOS channels for communication between access points (APs) and end devices. Such an environment is extremely dynamic, in particular for mobile devices. At the same time, such channels experience very little interference and resources that would otherwise be used to handle interference can now be used to further increase achievable data rates. We propose to build a wireless network architecture that maintains directional LOS channels between several APs and (mobile) end devices. Data is transmitted via all of these channels and end device uses multiple antennas to receive and decode several such data streams simultaneously. The main complexity of the design lies in the selection of APs as well as the beamforming directions of their antennas, given the large number of end devices that future wireless networks will have to support. To speed up this decision process, the system maintains a map of the radio environment and learns likely sequences of beamforming patterns and APs. This further allows to intelligently switch off APs to improve energy efficiency. We believe that such a design is the key element for the scalability of future wireless networks."
"Due to the tremendous growth in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and laptops over the past years, a larger and larger fraction of Internet traffic is delivered wirelessly. Dealing with this vast increase in traffic is one of the most important challenges for future wireless networks. State-of-the-art wireless communication already operates close to Shannon capacity. The only viable option to further increase data rates is to use high bandwidth channels in the very high frequency part of the radio spectrum. However, this spectrum suffers from high attenuation and signal absorption, restricting communication primarily to line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios. This in turn requires a radical rethinking of wireless networking. We envision that future wireless networks will consist of many highly directional LOS channels for communication between access points (APs) and end devices. Such an environment is extremely dynamic, in particular for mobile devices. At the same time, such channels experience very little interference and resources that would otherwise be used to handle interference can now be used to further increase achievable data rates. We propose to build a wireless network architecture that maintains directional LOS channels between several APs and (mobile) end devices. Data is transmitted via all of these channels and end device uses multiple antennas to receive and decode several such data streams simultaneously. The main complexity of the design lies in the selection of APs as well as the beamforming directions of their antennas, given the large number of end devices that future wireless networks will have to support. To speed up this decision process, the system maintains a map of the radio environment and learns likely sequences of beamforming patterns and APs. This further allows to intelligently switch off APs to improve energy efficiency. We believe that such a design is the key element for the scalability of future wireless networks."
Project acronym SmartGraphene
Project Graphene based smart surfaces: from visible to microwave
Researcher (PI) Coskun Kocabas
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
Summary The aim of this proposal is to develop adaptive camouflage systems using graphene-enabled smart surfaces. We propose a new class of active surfaces capable of real-time electrical-control of its appearance in a very broad spectrum ranging from visible to microwave covering 6 orders of magnitude in wavelength. The proposed method relies on controlling electromagnetic waves by tuning density of high-mobility charges on single or multilayers of atomically thin graphene electrodes. We will realize this goal by efficient gating of large-area graphene using ionic liquids which yields unprecedented ability to control intensity and phase of the reflected and transmitted electromagnetic waves from the surface. Based on underlying physical mechanisms and applications, the proposed research plan is structured in 3 main directions; (1) Active surfaces in microwave and THz, (2) Active thermal surfaces, and (3) Active surfaces in the visible. The core idea of the proposal is based on a mutually-gated capacitor structure consisting of ionic liquid electrolyte sandwiched between two large area graphene. The voltage applied between the electrodes polarizes the ionic liquid and accumulates high-density of charges. Combining large scale chemical synthesis of graphene, novel device architectures and ionic liquid electrolyte we will develop new tools to understand and control light-matter interaction in a very broad spectrum. Then we will use these tools to fabricate new camouflage and display technologies on flexible polymers and paper substrates which cannot be realized by conventional semiconducting materials. We will challenge specific applications, such as THz compressive imaging, reconfigurable thermal shields, and electronic paper display. At the basic science level, this project revisits and challenges our basic understanding of light-matter interaction, in parallel, the proposed graphene-based smart surfaces will serve as a tool for developing new enabling technologies.
The aim of this proposal is to develop adaptive camouflage systems using graphene-enabled smart surfaces. We propose a new class of active surfaces capable of real-time electrical-control of its appearance in a very broad spectrum ranging from visible to microwave covering 6 orders of magnitude in wavelength. The proposed method relies on controlling electromagnetic waves by tuning density of high-mobility charges on single or multilayers of atomically thin graphene electrodes. We will realize this goal by efficient gating of large-area graphene using ionic liquids which yields unprecedented ability to control intensity and phase of the reflected and transmitted electromagnetic waves from the surface. Based on underlying physical mechanisms and applications, the proposed research plan is structured in 3 main directions; (1) Active surfaces in microwave and THz, (2) Active thermal surfaces, and (3) Active surfaces in the visible. The core idea of the proposal is based on a mutually-gated capacitor structure consisting of ionic liquid electrolyte sandwiched between two large area graphene. The voltage applied between the electrodes polarizes the ionic liquid and accumulates high-density of charges. Combining large scale chemical synthesis of graphene, novel device architectures and ionic liquid electrolyte we will develop new tools to understand and control light-matter interaction in a very broad spectrum. Then we will use these tools to fabricate new camouflage and display technologies on flexible polymers and paper substrates which cannot be realized by conventional semiconducting materials. We will challenge specific applications, such as THz compressive imaging, reconfigurable thermal shields, and electronic paper display. At the basic science level, this project revisits and challenges our basic understanding of light-matter interaction, in parallel, the proposed graphene-based smart surfaces will serve as a tool for developing new enabling technologies.
Project acronym SONORA
Project The Spatial Dynamics of Room Acoustics
Researcher (PI) Toon Jos M. VAN WATERSCHOOT
Host Institution (HI) KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Summary The SONORA project aims to increase the general understanding of how complex sound scenes are impacted by the spatial dynamics of room acoustics. This knowledge is crucial in the design of signal processing algorithms for audio acquisition and reproduction problems in real-life situations, where moving sound sources and observers interact with room acoustics in a complicated manner. A major part of the project will be devoted to the development of novel room acoustics models and to the unification of existing models. The room acoustics models developed in this project will be data-driven models with a physically motivated structure, and are expected to fill the existing gap between geometric and wave-based models. This will be achieved by formulating existing and novel models in a dictionary-based mathematical framework and introducing a new concept coined as the equivalent boundary model, aimed at relaxing the prior knowledge required on the physical room boundary. A second part of the project will focus on the development of a protocol for measuring spatiotemporal sound fields. This protocol will be rooted in a novel sound field sampling theory which exploits the spatial sparsity of sound sources by invoking the compressed sensing paradigm. Thirdly, novel signal processing algorithms capable of handling spatiotemporal sound fields will be designed. By employing recent advances in large-scale optimization and multidimensional scaling, fast and matrix-free algorithms will be obtained that do not require prior knowledge of the sound scene geometry. The SONORA research results are anticipated to have a notable impact in various audio acquisition and reproduction problems, including acoustic signal enhancement, audio analysis, room inference, virtual acoustics, and spatial audio reproduction. These problems have many applications in speech, audio, and hearing technology, hence a significant benefit for industry and for technology end users is expected in the long run.
The SONORA project aims to increase the general understanding of how complex sound scenes are impacted by the spatial dynamics of room acoustics. This knowledge is crucial in the design of signal processing algorithms for audio acquisition and reproduction problems in real-life situations, where moving sound sources and observers interact with room acoustics in a complicated manner. A major part of the project will be devoted to the development of novel room acoustics models and to the unification of existing models. The room acoustics models developed in this project will be data-driven models with a physically motivated structure, and are expected to fill the existing gap between geometric and wave-based models. This will be achieved by formulating existing and novel models in a dictionary-based mathematical framework and introducing a new concept coined as the equivalent boundary model, aimed at relaxing the prior knowledge required on the physical room boundary. A second part of the project will focus on the development of a protocol for measuring spatiotemporal sound fields. This protocol will be rooted in a novel sound field sampling theory which exploits the spatial sparsity of sound sources by invoking the compressed sensing paradigm. Thirdly, novel signal processing algorithms capable of handling spatiotemporal sound fields will be designed. By employing recent advances in large-scale optimization and multidimensional scaling, fast and matrix-free algorithms will be obtained that do not require prior knowledge of the sound scene geometry. The SONORA research results are anticipated to have a notable impact in various audio acquisition and reproduction problems, including acoustic signal enhancement, audio analysis, room inference, virtual acoustics, and spatial audio reproduction. These problems have many applications in speech, audio, and hearing technology, hence a significant benefit for industry and for technology end users is expected in the long run.
Project acronym SPRINT
Project Ultra-Short Pulse laser Resonators IN the Terahertz
Researcher (PI) Miriam Serena Vitiello
Host Institution (HI) CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Summary "Ultra-short light pulses with large instantaneous intensities can probe light-matter interaction phenomena, capture snapshots of molecular dynamics and drive high-speed communications. In a semiconductor laser, mode-locking is the primary way to generate ultrafast signals. Despite the intriguing perspectives, operation at Terahertz (THz) frequencies is facing fundamental limitations: engineering "ultrafast" THz semiconductor lasers from scratch or finding an integrated technology to shorten THz light pulses are currently two demanding routes. SPRINT aims to innovatively combine the groundbreaking quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology with graphene, to develop a new generation of passive mode-locked THz photonic laser resonators, combined with unexplored electronic nanodetectors for ultrafast THz sensing and imaging. To achieve these ambitious objectives, the versatile quantum design of QCLs will be exploited to engineer the laser gain spectrum on purpose. Resonators of unusual symmetry and shape, like photonic quasi-crystals or random patterns, will be implemented, offering the flexibility to control and guide photons and the lithographic capability to embed miniaturized intra-cavity passive components to probe and modulate light. Graphene, owing to its gapless nature and ultrafast, gating-tunable carrier dynamic, will lead to a major breakthrough: integration in the THz QCL cavity will allow superbly manipulating its functionalities. Antenna-coupled quantum-dot nanowires will be also devised to sense and probe ultra-short THz pulses. The project will target radically new concepts and interdisciplinary approaches encompassing unconventional THz QCL micro-resonators, graphene and polaritonic THz saturable absorbers, non-linear ultra-low dimensional detection architectures. Pushing forward the understanding of ultrafast dynamics in complex THz electronic and photonic systems, SPRINT prospects new directions and long-term impacts on fundamental and applied science."
"Ultra-short light pulses with large instantaneous intensities can probe light-matter interaction phenomena, capture snapshots of molecular dynamics and drive high-speed communications. In a semiconductor laser, mode-locking is the primary way to generate ultrafast signals. Despite the intriguing perspectives, operation at Terahertz (THz) frequencies is facing fundamental limitations: engineering "ultrafast" THz semiconductor lasers from scratch or finding an integrated technology to shorten THz light pulses are currently two demanding routes. SPRINT aims to innovatively combine the groundbreaking quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology with graphene, to develop a new generation of passive mode-locked THz photonic laser resonators, combined with unexplored electronic nanodetectors for ultrafast THz sensing and imaging. To achieve these ambitious objectives, the versatile quantum design of QCLs will be exploited to engineer the laser gain spectrum on purpose. Resonators of unusual symmetry and shape, like photonic quasi-crystals or random patterns, will be implemented, offering the flexibility to control and guide photons and the lithographic capability to embed miniaturized intra-cavity passive components to probe and modulate light. Graphene, owing to its gapless nature and ultrafast, gating-tunable carrier dynamic, will lead to a major breakthrough: integration in the THz QCL cavity will allow superbly manipulating its functionalities. Antenna-coupled quantum-dot nanowires will be also devised to sense and probe ultra-short THz pulses. The project will target radically new concepts and interdisciplinary approaches encompassing unconventional THz QCL micro-resonators, graphene and polaritonic THz saturable absorbers, non-linear ultra-low dimensional detection architectures. Pushing forward the understanding of ultrafast dynamics in complex THz electronic and photonic systems, SPRINT prospects new directions and long-term impacts on fundamental and applied science."
Project acronym TERAMICROSYS
Project Terahertz microsystems - Enabling the large-scale exploitation of the terahertz gap
Researcher (PI) Joachim Oberhammer
Host Institution (HI) KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN
Summary This project envisions the wide-spread use of THz technology in various applications in our society, which is enabled by the proposed THz microsystems, providing an unprecedented way of creating highly-integrated, volume-manufacturable, cost and energy-efficient, reconfigurable and thus adaptive submillimeter-wave and THz systems. Advanced three-dimensional micromachining is used as the key enabling fabrication technology. In connection with the technology convergence of advancing microwave semiconductor technology according to international technology programmes and roadmaps, the findings of this project are expected to comprise a significant contribution towards the large-scale exploitation of the heavily sought-after frequency space between 100 GHz and 1 THz, the so-called 'terahertz gap'. Primary application fields with high impact of the proposed technology are wireless short-range communication links to interconnect future small-cell clouds replacing the current macro-basestation radio access network, and submillimeter-wave/THz sensing with application fields including medical diagnosis, food quality control, agriculture and industrial sensors. The proposed THz microsystems are based on rectangular waveguide-technology integrated into a multi-wafer stacked silicon substrate, which integrates all passive components needed for completing a submillimeter-wave/THz system around the monolithic-microwave integrated circuits (MMIC). Novel key building blocks investigated in this proposal include platform-integrated sensor and antenna interfaces, micro-electromechanically tuneable filters, phase-shifters, impedance-matching networks and non-galvanic microsystem-to-IC interfaces. The micro-mechanical reconfigurability enables unprecedented adaptive THz systems. Key outcomes of this project are proof-of-concept prototypes of all key building blocks up to 650 GHz, and of complete THz microsystems implemented for the two key applications telecom links and medical sensors.
This project envisions the wide-spread use of THz technology in various applications in our society, which is enabled by the proposed THz microsystems, providing an unprecedented way of creating highly-integrated, volume-manufacturable, cost and energy-efficient, reconfigurable and thus adaptive submillimeter-wave and THz systems. Advanced three-dimensional micromachining is used as the key enabling fabrication technology. In connection with the technology convergence of advancing microwave semiconductor technology according to international technology programmes and roadmaps, the findings of this project are expected to comprise a significant contribution towards the large-scale exploitation of the heavily sought-after frequency space between 100 GHz and 1 THz, the so-called 'terahertz gap'. Primary application fields with high impact of the proposed technology are wireless short-range communication links to interconnect future small-cell clouds replacing the current macro-basestation radio access network, and submillimeter-wave/THz sensing with application fields including medical diagnosis, food quality control, agriculture and industrial sensors. The proposed THz microsystems are based on rectangular waveguide-technology integrated into a multi-wafer stacked silicon substrate, which integrates all passive components needed for completing a submillimeter-wave/THz system around the monolithic-microwave integrated circuits (MMIC). Novel key building blocks investigated in this proposal include platform-integrated sensor and antenna interfaces, micro-electromechanically tuneable filters, phase-shifters, impedance-matching networks and non-galvanic microsystem-to-IC interfaces. The micro-mechanical reconfigurability enables unprecedented adaptive THz systems. Key outcomes of this project are proof-of-concept prototypes of all key building blocks up to 650 GHz, and of complete THz microsystems implemented for the two key applications telecom links and medical sensors.
Project acronym TeraSHAPE
Project Terahertz Waveform Synthesis and Analysis Using Hybrid Photonic-Electronic Circuits
Researcher (PI) Christian Gunter KOOS
Host Institution (HI) KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIE
Summary Generation, detection, and processing of electromagnetic waveforms is one the most important tech-nical foundations of modern society. Digital signal processing, in particular, has revolutionized many areas of science and engineering. By exploiting massively parallel processing with tens of billions of transistors at comparatively low internal clock speed, CMOS circuits can provide output data rates of hundreds of gigabit per second, corresponding to effective clock rates of several hundred GHz. In contrast to that, the analog bandwidth of electronic circuits is much more difficult to scale due to limited switching speed of semiconductor devices, strongly increased transmission line losses at high frequencies, and the considerable complexity associated with high-speed circuit packaging and as-sembly. TeraSHAPE aims at overcoming these limitations by establishing the foundations of novel signal processing concepts at T-wave frequencies between 100 GHz and 1 THz. Capitalizing on cutting-edge results in the fields of photonic integration and optical frequency comb generation, TeraSHAPE will combine massively parallel processing in digital electronic circuits with synthesis and analysis of broadband waveforms in the optical domain. To convert waveforms between optical and T-wave frequencies, TeraSHAPE will explore novel concepts for ultra-fast devices such as silicon-organic hybrid electro-optic modulators and silicon-plasmonic photodetectors with bandwidths of hundreds of GHz. Advances on the device level will be complemented by scalable assembly concepts, where TeraSHAPE will exploit 3D printing on the micro- and nanoscale both for hybrid photonic integration and for realizing sub-mm THz waveguides. The viability of the TeraSHAPE concepts will be experimentally demonstrated in applications of high relevance such as high-speed wireless communications at data rates of up to 1 Tbit/s or signal processing in high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.
Generation, detection, and processing of electromagnetic waveforms is one the most important tech-nical foundations of modern society. Digital signal processing, in particular, has revolutionized many areas of science and engineering. By exploiting massively parallel processing with tens of billions of transistors at comparatively low internal clock speed, CMOS circuits can provide output data rates of hundreds of gigabit per second, corresponding to effective clock rates of several hundred GHz. In contrast to that, the analog bandwidth of electronic circuits is much more difficult to scale due to limited switching speed of semiconductor devices, strongly increased transmission line losses at high frequencies, and the considerable complexity associated with high-speed circuit packaging and as-sembly. TeraSHAPE aims at overcoming these limitations by establishing the foundations of novel signal processing concepts at T-wave frequencies between 100 GHz and 1 THz. Capitalizing on cutting-edge results in the fields of photonic integration and optical frequency comb generation, TeraSHAPE will combine massively parallel processing in digital electronic circuits with synthesis and analysis of broadband waveforms in the optical domain. To convert waveforms between optical and T-wave frequencies, TeraSHAPE will explore novel concepts for ultra-fast devices such as silicon-organic hybrid electro-optic modulators and silicon-plasmonic photodetectors with bandwidths of hundreds of GHz. Advances on the device level will be complemented by scalable assembly concepts, where TeraSHAPE will exploit 3D printing on the micro- and nanoscale both for hybrid photonic integration and for realizing sub-mm THz waveguides. The viability of the TeraSHAPE concepts will be experimentally demonstrated in applications of high relevance such as high-speed wireless communications at data rates of up to 1 Tbit/s or signal processing in high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.
Project acronym time-data
Project Time-Data Trade-Offs in Resource-Constrained Information and Inference Systems
Researcher (PI) Volkan CEVHER
Summary Massive data poses a fundamental challenge to learning algorithms, which is captured by the following computational dogma: The running time of an algorithm increases with the size of its input data. The available computational power, however, is growing slowly relative to data sizes. Hence, large-scale problems of interest require increasingly more time to solve. Our recent research demonstrates that this dogma is false in general, and supports an emerging perspective: Data should be treated as a resource that can be traded off with other resources such as running time. For data acquisition and communications, we have also shown related sampling, energy, and circuit area trade-offs. A detailed understanding of time-data and other analogous trade-offs, however, requires interdisciplinary studies that are currently in their infancy even for basic system models. Existing approaches are too specialized, and crucially, they only aim at establishing a trade-off, but not characterizing its optimality or its technological feasibility. TIME-DATA will confront these challenges by building unified mathematical foundations on how we generate data via sampling, how we set up learning objectives that govern our fundamental goals, and how we optimize these goals to obtain numerical solutions. We will demonstrate our rigorous theory with task-specific, end-to-end trade-offs (e.g., samples, power, computation, and statistical precision) in broad domains, by not only building prototype analog-to-information conversion hardware, but also accelerating scientific and medical imaging, and engineering new tools of discovery in materials science. Our goal of systematically understanding and expanding on this emerging perspective is ambitious: Our mathematical sampling framework, in tandem with new universal primal-dual algorithms and geometric estimators, are expected to change the way we treat data in information systems, promising substantial flexibility in the use of limited resources.
Massive data poses a fundamental challenge to learning algorithms, which is captured by the following computational dogma: The running time of an algorithm increases with the size of its input data. The available computational power, however, is growing slowly relative to data sizes. Hence, large-scale problems of interest require increasingly more time to solve. Our recent research demonstrates that this dogma is false in general, and supports an emerging perspective: Data should be treated as a resource that can be traded off with other resources such as running time. For data acquisition and communications, we have also shown related sampling, energy, and circuit area trade-offs. A detailed understanding of time-data and other analogous trade-offs, however, requires interdisciplinary studies that are currently in their infancy even for basic system models. Existing approaches are too specialized, and crucially, they only aim at establishing a trade-off, but not characterizing its optimality or its technological feasibility. TIME-DATA will confront these challenges by building unified mathematical foundations on how we generate data via sampling, how we set up learning objectives that govern our fundamental goals, and how we optimize these goals to obtain numerical solutions. We will demonstrate our rigorous theory with task-specific, end-to-end trade-offs (e.g., samples, power, computation, and statistical precision) in broad domains, by not only building prototype analog-to-information conversion hardware, but also accelerating scientific and medical imaging, and engineering new tools of discovery in materials science. Our goal of systematically understanding and expanding on this emerging perspective is ambitious: Our mathematical sampling framework, in tandem with new universal primal-dual algorithms and geometric estimators, are expected to change the way we treat data in information systems, promising substantial flexibility in the use of limited resources.
Project acronym TIMING
Project Time-Resolved Nonlinear Ghost Imaging
Researcher (PI) Marco PECCIANTI
Summary This project addresses major challenges in Terahertz (THz) sensing at the forefront of the experimental and theoretical investigation. The results will have far-reaching implications in complex science. They will target the next generation of THz imagers, acknowledged as unique diagnostic tools in cross-disciplinary fields in light of the THz's distinctive ability to unambiguously discriminate molecular compounds. The project objectives are: (i) to explore the consequences of modern approaches to imaging with structured illumination in the THz domain. (ii) to introduce a novel approach to THz microscopy. TIMING will explore a novel form of single-pixel imaging that boosts the performance of the state-of-the-art. It exploits concepts cross-disciplinary inherited from fields like complexity and nonlinear-physics. The newly developed background will directly impact transverse fields like acoustic, microwaves and optics where related forms of imaging are strongly investigated. The sought results aim to enable applications in several scenarios in biology, medicine, material science, quality inspection and security. In all those fields, active THz imaging is still challenged by the poor general resolution, low brightness and relatively long acquisition time, aspects directly targeted by this project. TIMING is at the same time a project and novel imaging concept that will unveil real applications in transversal and interdisciplinary fields where imaging and material discrimination are strategic.
This project addresses major challenges in Terahertz (THz) sensing at the forefront of the experimental and theoretical investigation. The results will have far-reaching implications in complex science. They will target the next generation of THz imagers, acknowledged as unique diagnostic tools in cross-disciplinary fields in light of the THz's distinctive ability to unambiguously discriminate molecular compounds. The project objectives are: (i) to explore the consequences of modern approaches to imaging with structured illumination in the THz domain. (ii) to introduce a novel approach to THz microscopy. TIMING will explore a novel form of single-pixel imaging that boosts the performance of the state-of-the-art. It exploits concepts cross-disciplinary inherited from fields like complexity and nonlinear-physics. The newly developed background will directly impact transverse fields like acoustic, microwaves and optics where related forms of imaging are strongly investigated. The sought results aim to enable applications in several scenarios in biology, medicine, material science, quality inspection and security. In all those fields, active THz imaging is still challenged by the poor general resolution, low brightness and relatively long acquisition time, aspects directly targeted by this project. TIMING is at the same time a project and novel imaging concept that will unveil real applications in transversal and interdisciplinary fields where imaging and material discrimination are strategic.
Project acronym TIMP
Project Ultrahigh-speed nanometer-scale microscopy
Researcher (PI) Oren COHEN
Summary Ultrahigh-speed microscopy at Tera-scale frames per second frame-rate is essential for various applications in science and technology. In particular, it is critical for observing ultrafast non-repetitive events, for which the pump-probe technique is inapplicable. The spatial resolutions of such microscopes is to date limited to the micrometer scale. I propose to develop such microscopes with nanometric resolution. The Tera-scale frames per second frame rate microscopes with nanometric resolution will be based on a new approach for ultrahigh-speed imaging that we recently proposed: time-resolved imaging by multiplexed ptychography (TIMP). In TIMP, multiple frames of the object are recovered algorithmically from data measured in a single CCD exposure of a single-shot ptychographic microscope. The frame rate is determined by the light source (burst of pulses) and it is largely uncoupled from the microscope spatial resolution, which can be sub-wavelength. Also important, TIMP yields movies of both the amplitude and phase dynamics of the imaged object. It is simple and versatile, thus it can be implemented across the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as with other waves. I aim to develop TIMP-based microscopes, in the visible, extreme UV and x-ray spectral regions with Tera-scale frames per second frame rate and nanometric resolution. We will utilize the unprecedented imaging capabilities in applications, including exploring ultrafast phase transitions, ultrafast dynamics in nanostructures, and tracking the spatiotemporal dynamics during passive mode-locking build-up in lasers and Kerr micro-resonators. This program, if successful, will bring the field of imaging into a new era, where ultrafast dynamics of non-repetitive transient complex-valued objects can be viewed at nanometric resolution.
Ultrahigh-speed microscopy at Tera-scale frames per second frame-rate is essential for various applications in science and technology. In particular, it is critical for observing ultrafast non-repetitive events, for which the pump-probe technique is inapplicable. The spatial resolutions of such microscopes is to date limited to the micrometer scale. I propose to develop such microscopes with nanometric resolution. The Tera-scale frames per second frame rate microscopes with nanometric resolution will be based on a new approach for ultrahigh-speed imaging that we recently proposed: time-resolved imaging by multiplexed ptychography (TIMP). In TIMP, multiple frames of the object are recovered algorithmically from data measured in a single CCD exposure of a single-shot ptychographic microscope. The frame rate is determined by the light source (burst of pulses) and it is largely uncoupled from the microscope spatial resolution, which can be sub-wavelength. Also important, TIMP yields movies of both the amplitude and phase dynamics of the imaged object. It is simple and versatile, thus it can be implemented across the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as with other waves. I aim to develop TIMP-based microscopes, in the visible, extreme UV and x-ray spectral regions with Tera-scale frames per second frame rate and nanometric resolution. We will utilize the unprecedented imaging capabilities in applications, including exploring ultrafast phase transitions, ultrafast dynamics in nanostructures, and tracking the spatiotemporal dynamics during passive mode-locking build-up in lasers and Kerr micro-resonators. This program, if successful, will bring the field of imaging into a new era, where ultrafast dynamics of non-repetitive transient complex-valued objects can be viewed at nanometric resolution.
Project acronym TransPhorm
Project Single molecule imaging of transmembrane protein structure and function in their native state
Researcher (PI) Melissa Louise Mather
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF KEELE
Summary TransPhorm will pioneer a transformative technology platform based on Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) magnetometry to enable the structure and function of transmembrane proteins (TMPs) to be studied in their native state with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. TMPs reside in the membrane of biological cells and are critical to cellular function and communication. It is essential that TMPs are characterised in their native state as their structure and function is dependent on their interaction with the local environment. This is technically demanding and despite previous attempts using a multitude of complementary techniques no single method has provided a suitable solution. Here a breakthrough approach will be taken to demonstrate in situ TMP characterisation with single molecule sensitivity, nanoscale spatial resolution and millisecond measurement speed. The concepts proposed in TransPhorm are distinct from current implementations of NV magnetometry for detection and mapping of weak magnetic fields originating from external nuclear spins. Here magnetic field mapping will be achieved using a totally new approach based on widefield, high speed structured illumination total internal reflection microscopy. The concepts TransPhorm are built on will also enable structural and functional single molecular characterisation with high specificity by exploiting the outstanding sensitivity to the local environment of fluorine-19 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) reporters and the ion selectivity of sodium-23 and potassium-39 NMR spectroscopy. In short, TransPhorm will deliver a ground-breaking technology to far surpass current state-of-the-art techniques and provide the extreme sensitivity needed to understand the molecular scale dynamic changes that underpin TMP function. Overall the strategy and technologies proposed here will pave an untravelled path to the realisation of nanoscale NMR imaging and deliver tremendous scientific gains.
TransPhorm will pioneer a transformative technology platform based on Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) magnetometry to enable the structure and function of transmembrane proteins (TMPs) to be studied in their native state with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. TMPs reside in the membrane of biological cells and are critical to cellular function and communication. It is essential that TMPs are characterised in their native state as their structure and function is dependent on their interaction with the local environment. This is technically demanding and despite previous attempts using a multitude of complementary techniques no single method has provided a suitable solution. Here a breakthrough approach will be taken to demonstrate in situ TMP characterisation with single molecule sensitivity, nanoscale spatial resolution and millisecond measurement speed. The concepts proposed in TransPhorm are distinct from current implementations of NV magnetometry for detection and mapping of weak magnetic fields originating from external nuclear spins. Here magnetic field mapping will be achieved using a totally new approach based on widefield, high speed structured illumination total internal reflection microscopy. The concepts TransPhorm are built on will also enable structural and functional single molecular characterisation with high specificity by exploiting the outstanding sensitivity to the local environment of fluorine-19 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) reporters and the ion selectivity of sodium-23 and potassium-39 NMR spectroscopy. In short, TransPhorm will deliver a ground-breaking technology to far surpass current state-of-the-art techniques and provide the extreme sensitivity needed to understand the molecular scale dynamic changes that underpin TMP function. Overall the strategy and technologies proposed here will pave an untravelled path to the realisation of nanoscale NMR imaging and deliver tremendous scientific gains.
Project acronym VIBRANT-BIO
Project High-throughput vibrational fingerprinting by nanoplasmonics for disease biology
Researcher (PI) Hatice Altug Yanik
Summary Devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and various cancers are still without cures, continue to undermine the quality of life for millions of people and impose significant economic burdens. Misfolded toxic proteins constitute the microscopic basis of these diseases, but little is understood about their structure and biological function. This is due the fact that current technologies are severely limited for molecular-level identification of protein structures and high-throughput analysis of biomolecular interactions. VIBRANT-BIO aims to introduce breakthrough mid-infrared spectroscopy technologies, including the first spectroscopic microarray, to overcome the limitations of current methods by enabling complete profiling of biomolecules from identification of their structure and composition to their biological function. To achieve its ambitious goals, VIBRANT-BIO will exploit plasmonics and newly discovered two-dimensional nanomaterials such as graphene and explore the ultimate limits of light-matter interaction to demonstrate biosensors with extreme sensitivity, throughput and functionality, well beyond the state-of the art. It will innovatively integrate nanoplasmonics with advanced photonics and bioanalytical tools to dramatically enhance sensor performance and introduce new functionalities. The proposed technologies will be applied to study toxic amyloid-beta proteins and their interaction with lipid membranes for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. VIBRANT-BIO will contribute to define the road-map for next generation biosensor and spectroscopy technologies through interdisciplinary research covering physics, engineering, chemistry and biology. The capability of the proposed systems to analyze a broad range and ultra-low quantities of molecules and chemicals provides a general-purpose toolkit that can impact numerous fields such as bioscience, material science, pharmaceutical industry, and homeland security.
Devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and various cancers are still without cures, continue to undermine the quality of life for millions of people and impose significant economic burdens. Misfolded toxic proteins constitute the microscopic basis of these diseases, but little is understood about their structure and biological function. This is due the fact that current technologies are severely limited for molecular-level identification of protein structures and high-throughput analysis of biomolecular interactions. VIBRANT-BIO aims to introduce breakthrough mid-infrared spectroscopy technologies, including the first spectroscopic microarray, to overcome the limitations of current methods by enabling complete profiling of biomolecules from identification of their structure and composition to their biological function. To achieve its ambitious goals, VIBRANT-BIO will exploit plasmonics and newly discovered two-dimensional nanomaterials such as graphene and explore the ultimate limits of light-matter interaction to demonstrate biosensors with extreme sensitivity, throughput and functionality, well beyond the state-of the art. It will innovatively integrate nanoplasmonics with advanced photonics and bioanalytical tools to dramatically enhance sensor performance and introduce new functionalities. The proposed technologies will be applied to study toxic amyloid-beta proteins and their interaction with lipid membranes for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease. VIBRANT-BIO will contribute to define the road-map for next generation biosensor and spectroscopy technologies through interdisciplinary research covering physics, engineering, chemistry and biology. The capability of the proposed systems to analyze a broad range and ultra-low quantities of molecules and chemicals provides a general-purpose toolkit that can impact numerous fields such as bioscience, material science, pharmaceutical industry, and homeland security.
Project acronym WILLOW
Project WIreLess LOWband communications: massive and ultra-reliable access
Researcher (PI) Petar Popovski
Host Institution (HI) AALBORG UNIVERSITET
Summary The overall objective of WILLOW is to make wireless communication a true commodity by enabling lowband communications: low-rate links for massive number of devices and ultra-reliable connectivity. This research effort is a major endeavour in the area of wireless communications, taking a different path from the mainstream research that aims at "4G, but faster". Lowband communication is the key to enabling new applications, such as massive sensing, ultra-reliable vehicular links and wireless cloud connectivity with guaranteed minimal rate. The research in WILLOW is centred on two fundamental issues. First, it is the efficient communication with short packets, in which the data size is comparable to the size of the metadata, i.e. control information, which is not the case in broadband communication. Communication of short packets that come from a massive number of devices and/or need to meet a latency constraint requires fundamental rethinking of the packet structure and the associated communication protocols. Second is the system architecture in which graceful rate degradation, low latency and massive access can exist simultaneously with the broadband services. The principles from WILLOW will be applied to: (a) clean-slate wireless systems; (b) reengineer existing wireless systems. Option (b) is unique to lowband communication that does not require high physical-layer speed, but can reuse the physical layer of an existing system and redefine the metadata/data relationship to achieve massive/ultra-reliable communication. WILLOW carries high risk by conjecturing that it is possible to support an unprecedented number of connected devices and wireless reliability levels. Considering the timeliness and the relevance, the strong track record of the PI and the rich wireless research environment at Aalborg University, WILLOW is poised to make a breakthrough towards lowband communications and create the technology that will enable a plethora of new wireless usage modes.
The overall objective of WILLOW is to make wireless communication a true commodity by enabling lowband communications: low-rate links for massive number of devices and ultra-reliable connectivity. This research effort is a major endeavour in the area of wireless communications, taking a different path from the mainstream research that aims at "4G, but faster". Lowband communication is the key to enabling new applications, such as massive sensing, ultra-reliable vehicular links and wireless cloud connectivity with guaranteed minimal rate. The research in WILLOW is centred on two fundamental issues. First, it is the efficient communication with short packets, in which the data size is comparable to the size of the metadata, i.e. control information, which is not the case in broadband communication. Communication of short packets that come from a massive number of devices and/or need to meet a latency constraint requires fundamental rethinking of the packet structure and the associated communication protocols. Second is the system architecture in which graceful rate degradation, low latency and massive access can exist simultaneously with the broadband services. The principles from WILLOW will be applied to: (a) clean-slate wireless systems; (b) reengineer existing wireless systems. Option (b) is unique to lowband communication that does not require high physical-layer speed, but can reuse the physical layer of an existing system and redefine the metadata/data relationship to achieve massive/ultra-reliable communication. WILLOW carries high risk by conjecturing that it is possible to support an unprecedented number of connected devices and wireless reliability levels. Considering the timeliness and the relevance, the strong track record of the PI and the rich wireless research environment at Aalborg University, WILLOW is poised to make a breakthrough towards lowband communications and create the technology that will enable a plethora of new wireless usage modes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl