Institute of High Pressure Physics

The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) has published an extensive summary and a short movie from the conference summarising the "Applied Research" Programme implemented under the 3rd edition of the Norwegian Funds and European Economic Area (EEA) Funds. The programme was implemented in 2020-2024. Funding was received by 81 projects, in which support was provided to almost 1650 scientists from 139 institutions. The total budget of the Programme was over EUR 81 million. One of the projects that was financed under the Small Grant Scheme (SGS) was implemented at our Institute "Buried periodic Arrays of NANOchannels for single-frequency nitride lasers". We are looking forward to getting more information about the next edition of the Norwegian and EEA Funds.

National Science Center (NCN) announced the results of OPUS 26+LAP/Weave for the bilateral projects conducted with partners in Germany. Dr. Grzegorz Muzioł from MBE Laboratory of our Institute received funding for the project „Multi-junction distributed-feedback laser diodes - synergy of high optical power and single-mode operation”.

The project will develop a completely new optoelectronic device - a multi-junction distributed-feedback laser diode (DFB LD), which is shown schematically in Figure 1.

Multi-junction LDs have several pn junctions interconnected with tunnel junctions (TJs). The advantage of this scheme, compared to single junction devices, is that for the same current flow, the recombination occurs in each of the quantum wells (QW). In principle, one can expect an N-fold increase in output power of the multi-junction LD with N sections. This results in differential efficiency (photons per injected electrons) higher than 100%, which comes at the cost of additional voltage required for each section. The DFB grating placed on the surface of the device, as shown in Figure 1, will ensure strong coupling to the optical mode and lasing at only one wavelength – the one that matches the grating.

The demonstration of visible multi-junction DFB LDs will open a new field of GaN-based devices and stimulate new research directions. Abstract of the project is available here.

The project will be conducted in collaboration between Institute of High Pressure Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IHPP PAS), CEZAMAT Warsaw University of Technology and group of Prof. Ulrich Theodor Schwarz from Technische Universität Chemnitz (TU Chemnitz).

Figure 1. (a) A schematic showing the concept of a multi-junction distributed feedback laser diode composed of three sections interconnected with tunnel junctions (TJ). The third order optical mode is drawn with maxima in the three quantum well (QW) regions. The light propagating in the device couples to the DFB grating that is placed on the surface and ensures lasing in a single mode. (b) Schematics of a band diagram for a LD stack (click to enlarge the Figure).

Dr. Shiv Singh from our Institute, Laboratory of Superconductors, serves as a program committee member for the 2^nd international workshop dedicated on iron-based superconductors “Iron-based Superconductors: Advances towards applications 2025 (IBS2app 2025)”. IBS2app 2025 will be held in Miyazaki, Japan from 13^th to 15^th February 2025. The IBS2app 2025 offers researchers a platform for scientific discussion and information exchange on iron-based superconductors.

Dr. Singh will also deliver an invited talk titled "Review on high pressure growth effect on  iron-based superconductors” at this workshop. Dr. Singh's research team has demonstrated that high-pressure growth techniques can effectively improve the superconducting properties and sample quality of high T_c superconductors. This talk will provide a comprehensive overview of the properties of iron-based superconductors by considering different kinds of samples under ambient and high-pressure effects.

More details can be found here: https://smartconf.jp/content/ibs2app/speakers

PPTF - Polish Technological Platform on Photonics elected new authorities for the next two years. The new Board members are:

• Anna Szerling, Łukasiewicz - Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics - President of the Board of PPTF
• Anna Gebarska, SMARTTECH3D metrology - 3D scanners
• Jacek Hanke, DCD Digital Core Design
• Michał L. Muniak, Solaris Optics S.A.
• Piotr Perlin, Institute of High Pressure Physics PAS

We wish you fruitful cooperation for the benefit of Polish photonics!

(Photo courtesy of Agni Maria Sodul & Maciej J. Nowakowski)