Photonic Sensors,
From Chip to System

Build your precision sensing product using Fraunhofer HHI’s photonic chips

Building high-tech optical hardware from scratch usually requires millions in capital, years of R&D, and enough specialized equipment to fill a small warehouse. Fraunhofer HHI has already built the infrastructure, we’re just looking for your product vision to bring it to life.

Department: Photonic Integrated Components
Available slots: 0 of 2 slots filled
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The technology

‍The old way: Precision optical sensing usually means a bulky setup, lenses, mirrors and lasers aligned on an open bench, a.k.a free-space optics.

The Fraunhofer HHI way: We shrink that setup onto a single, plug-and-play microchip, using near-infrared light and hybrid integration to combine multiple materials on one chip.

Features & Capabilities

• Sensing Parameters: Measures vibration, biochemical markers, magnetic fields, or 3D space/distance with extreme precision
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• Hybrid Integration: Combines Indium Phosphide, Silicon Nitride and Polymer onto a single chip
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• Bring Your Own Chip: Completely platform-agnostic, if you already have a design, we package and integrate around it
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What your team gets

• Team Salaries: Fully paid positions for up to 3 co-founders for 12 months, with possibility to bring on up to 3 working students.
• World-Leading Lab Access: Cleanrooms, fabrication facilities, chemical functionalization labs and electronics packaging, all end-to-end under one roof.
• Direct Researcher Access: Moritz Kleinert, Jakob Reck and David de Felipe available as advisors on your hybrid photonic integration, backed by patented coupling technology and Fraunhofer's wider network.
• System-Level Focus: Bare chips don't make money, deployed products do. We take your sensor from concept to a calibrated, fully packaged device ready for customers.