About the Lab
Wolfgang Freude’s lab focuses on advanced integrated photonic technologies for ultra-high-speed signal generation, modulation, and transmission. The core research goal is to overcome bandwidth, energy-efficiency, and scalability limits of electronic systems by combining photonics with novel materials and system concepts.
A major emphasis lies on silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) photonic integration, where organic electro-optic materials are combined with silicon waveguides to realize highly efficient Mach–Zehnder modulators. These devices enable record-breaking data rates beyond 400–500 Gbit/s with extremely low drive voltages, making them attractive for next-generation optical interconnects. The lab also works on lithium-tantalate-on-insulator modulators, microwave-photonic links, photonic-electronic waveform generation, and practical packaging concepts such as fiber–chip coupling using microlenses.
Research spans device design, fabrication, modeling, and system-level demonstrations, often addressing both optical and microwave domains. Applications include energy-efficient data-center interconnects, long-haul and metro optical networks, radar and microwave photonics, and emerging interfaces to cryogenic and quantum systems. These technologies are highly relevant to society’s growing demand for fast, reliable, and sustainable digital infrastructure.
The lab is an excellent fit for students interested in electrical engineering, photonics, or applied physics. Ideal candidates enjoy hands-on experimental work, device and system modeling, and bridging fundamental photonic concepts with real-world high-speed communication applications.