The SPOC centre addresses the optical communication infrastructures of the future. In an interdisciplinary approach, relying on physics, nonlinear optics, photonic communication technologies, information theory and advanced coding, we aim to find solutions to the major challenges of communication systems.

The energy consumption and potential capacity

We will explore optical signal processing in photonic wires for orders of magnitude improvements in bandwidth and energy efficiency, and conduct fundamental research on optical silicon chips and integration technologies addressing ultimate-capacity optical communications.

We will explore spatially distributed data transmission for orders of magnitude higher data densities. We will explore information and coding theory for optimum spectral-efficiency. We will explore frequency comb generation for light sources and for unprecedented ultra-precise optical clocks and frequency references, and we will explore future quantum communication channels with impenetrable security.