Quantum-Sensitive Detectors and Measurement Systems
Our Research
We develop detectors and measurement systems for operation at the quantum limit. Our work focuses on uncooled and cryogenic sensors for detecting electromagnetic radiation in the long-wavelength terahertz and infrared ranges. The aim is to combine maximum sensitivity with reproducible technological implementation and to translate this into high-performance measurement systems.
Detector development is based on advanced micro- and nanotechnologies. We investigate a wide range of material systems and fabrication processes to realize novel classes of sensors and to tailor their properties in a targeted manner. On this basis, highly integrated circuits, sensors, and functional modules are created and incorporated into complex measurement systems. These systems enable spatially and temporally resolved detection of extremely weak signals.
The thematic orientation follows the Leibniz IPHT’s ambition to advance research from the initial idea through to the finished instrument. Applications in the life and environmental sciences, healthcare, and security-related fields drive the development of quantum-sensitive detectors and instruments. Our work combines fundamental research, technology development, and system integration, thereby laying the foundation for new photonic measurement methods.
Forschungsschwerpunkte
Quantum-Limited
Photonic Detectors
Development of highly sensitive detectors for measuring the smallest photonic signals down to the quantum limit
Infrared & THz
Sensor Systems
Uncooled and cryogenic thermal IR and THz sensors, including thermoelectric and gas-analytical detector concepts, for example for gas sensing
Single-Photon &
Ultrafast Detection
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) for time-resolved and photon-number-resolving measurements
Micro- & Nanotechnology for
Instrumentation
Micro- and nanotechnological processes for the reproducible fabrication of photonic detectors and integrated measurement systems, including on unconventional substrate materials such as foils, textiles, wood surfaces, and biomaterials
Functional Materials &
Thin-Film Systems
Magneto-optical garnets, Langmuir monolayers (assembled at air/water interfaces), semiconductor, TCO and graphene nanostructures, as well as thermoelectric thin films for sensing and functional applications
Sensor Microsystems for Bio &
Environmental Applications
Bioimpedance chips, multi-electrode chips, and material-based sensor systems for investigating biological samples as well as for environmental and medical technology applications
Collaborations and Networks
The Photonics and Quantum Detection research department works in national and international research networks with partners from physics, materials science, micro- and nanotechnology, as well as application-oriented fields such as smart textiles and hardware security. These collaborations support the development of novel detector and application concepts, the scaling of technological processes, and the realization of complex measurement and system architectures.
Through the Chair of Solid-State Physics with a focus on quantum detection headed by Prof. Dr. Heidemarie Krüger, the department is closely linked to Friedrich Schiller University Jena and is actively involved in the Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP), which brings together research and teaching in optics and photonics across institutions. A key supraregional alliance is the Carl Zeiss Foundation Center for Quantum Photonics, which serves as a platform for scientific exchange and collaborative research projects in quantum photonics among the universities of Jena, Stuttgart, and Ulm. The department collaborates with partners in Ulm and Stuttgart on a QPhoton innovation project.
Within the DFG Priority Programme Nano Security: From Nano-Electronics to Secure Systems (SPP 2253), the department contributes expertise in nanoelectronics, detector technologies, and hardware security.
Application-oriented collaborations exist, among others, within the SmartTex network and the European SmartX Innovation Hub. In these consortia, material- and coating-based photonic concepts are transferred into the development of intelligent, high-performance textiles and further advanced toward industrial applications.
Internationally, the department is represented in expert committees and networks at the interface of photonics, hardware systems, and machine learning, including the CNN-MAC Technical Committee. This is complemented by bilateral and European collaborations, for example on wearable sensor systems based on functional thin films and on light-stimulated, highly selective membranes within the European doctoral school PhotoBrane. With this expertise, the department is also part of the organizing committee of the international conference ICOMF.
Within Leibniz IPHT, the department is closely networked with research units in photonics, sensor technology, instrument development, and the KMNT. This collaboration enables the integration of quantum-sensitive detectors into cross-cutting measurement and analysis systems and their application in a wide range of fields. By linking material development, technology, and system integration, the department strengthens the institute’s instrumental expertise and contributes to the advancement of key photonic technologies.
Selected Projects
Active Nanostructured Metasurfaces for Light Control
Meta-Active: Tailored metasurfaces – generation, programming, and detection of light
Molecular Membranes for Integrated Photocatalysis
CataLight: Light-driven molecular catalysts in hierarchically structured materials
Highly Efficient In-Memory Computing Architectures
MemDPU: Domino Processing Unit for in-memory architectures based on memristive logic
Recent Publications