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Evoque

Munster Technological University

Corporate presentation

Munster Technological University (www.mtu.ie) is a multi-campus technological university, with an extensive regional footprint of six campuses across Cork and Kerry in the South-West region of Ireland, and a student body of 18,000. MTU holds the “Excellence in Human Resources for Researchers – HRS4R” badge from the European Commission, a Bronze Award from the Athena Swan gender equality initiative, and operates one of the largest incubation centres in the country, housing 65 start-up companies.

The Centre for Advanced Photonics & Process Analysis (CAPPA, www.cappa.ie) spearheads photonics research at MTU. The centre includes over 40 researchers and postgraduate students, conducting both applied and fundamental research on photonics for applications as diverse as telecommunications, medical devices, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. CAPPA has been awarded over €40M in funding since 2006, including coordinating 5 EU projects in the past 6 years.

Dr. William Whelan-Curtin (publishes as Liam O’Faolain) (coordinator). His research group uses nanoscale devices to control and manipulate light, primarily through nanostructuring high refractive index silicon based materials with techniques such as electron beam lithography, to realise efficient lasers and innovative sensors. He is the author/co-author of more than 120 journal papers, with a ”h”-factor of 50. He has held an ERC Starting Grant, and coordinated 4 EU projects.

Role in the Project

MTU are the coordinators of EVOQUE, and WP leader for WPs 7, 13, 16 & 17. As well as overseeing the overall management and administration of the project, MTU will contribute to the development of lasers in WP3 &8, including leading the metalenses activities, assist with the system design & integration in WP1, 6 & 11, in particular the design and assembly of control electronics, and will contribute to the application trials in WP13.

Infrastructure and facilities

CAPPA maintains labs both on MTU’s Bishopstown campus and in the Tyndall National Institute (through a Memorandum of Understanding with University College Cork). Facilities available include: Imaging and Spectroscopy suites, including FTIR, Raman, UV-vis spectroscopy and microscopy, TRPL and SEM; Optical Characterisation suites for photonic devices, including broadband light sources, OSAs, monochromators, etc.; Modelling and Design software, including Matlab, Lumerical, FIMMWAVE/FIMMPROP and Zemax; full access to the Semiconductor Cleanroom facilities at Tyndall National Institute.

Related projects and publications

  1. Evanescent wave quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy employing a side-polished fiber for methane sensing“, C. F. Twomey, G. Biagi, A. A. Ruth, M. Giglio, V. Spagnolo, L. O’Faolain, and A. J. Walsh; Photoacoustics, 100586, (2024)
  2. Unlocking the monolithic integration scenario: optical coupling between GaSb diode lasers epitaxially grown on patterned Si substrates and passive SiN waveguides“, A. Remis, L. Monge-Bartolome, M. Paparella, A. Gilbert, G. Boissier, M. Grande, A. Blake, L. O’Faolain, L. Cerutti, J.-B. Rodriguez, and E. Tournié; Light Sci Appl, 12 (1), 150, (2023)
  3. High-Q asymmetrically cladded silicon nitride 1D photonic crystals cavities and hybrid external cavity lasers for sensing in air and liquids.” Iadanza, S., Mendoza-Castro, J. H., Oliveira, T., Butler, S., Tedesco, A., Giannino, G., Lendl, B., Grande, M. and O’Faolain, L., Nanophotonics, 11 (18), 4183–4196, (2022).
  4. Single-mode interband cascade laser with a slotted waveguide”, J. A. M. Fordyce, D. A. Diaz-Thomas, L. O’Faolain, A. N. Baranov, T. Piwonski, and L. Cerutti; Appl. Phys. Lett., 121 (21), 211102, (2022)
  5. Subwavelength grating-based spiral metalens for tight focusing of laser light“, V. V. Kotlyar, S. S. Stafeev, A. G. Nalimov, & L. O’Faolain, Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 141107 (2019).
  6. “N-Blocks A Modular Low Power Embedded Systems Platform,” N. Chalikias, I. Aherne, F. Cosentino, and D. Pesch, Embedded World 2020 (2020).

Contact

William Whelan Curtin
William.Whelan-Curtin@mtu.ie

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