UT To Develop Ultra-Pure Laser Light

EIC Pathfinder funding for ULTRAPURE

The University of Twente is part of a new European research project called ULTRAPURE, which has received funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC). Coordinated by TU Braunschweig in Germany, the €3M project aims to develop a new generation of super-stable, ultra-pure laser light, a key technology for next-generation communications, ultra-precise clocks, and future quantum systems.

Pushing the limits of pure light
The project brings together six leading European partners: TU Braunschweig, University of Twente, Thales Research & Technology (France), University of Rennes (France), CSEM (Switzerland), and Modus Research (United Kingdom).

The University of Twente will receive €670,000 to develop advanced laser chips based on thin-film lithium tantalate. This new material enables extremely precise control of light on a microscopic scale.

With this project, we aim to create ultra-low noise laser sources integrated in compact photonic chips. Such light is essential for accurate atomic clocks, high-speed communication networks, and the quantum technologies of tomorrow. - Prof Dr David Marpaung.

ULTRAPURE received a perfect evaluation score from the European Commission, an exceptional achievement considering the 2% success rate of EIC Pathfinder proposals. The project will run for a period of three years.

How pure light can change the future
Conventional lasers still contain tiny instabilities, a kind of background “hum” known as noise. The Brillouin laser developed in ULTRAPURE reduces this noise dramatically by using the interaction between light and sound waves within a photonic chip. This leads to laser light that is exceptionally stable and precise.

UT’s Nonlinear Nanophotonics group has already demonstrated strong light–sound interactions in materials such as silicon nitride and thin-film lithium niobate. The new material, thin-film lithium tantalate, promises even better performance, higher stability, and the potential for compact and scalable laser systems.

The breakthroughs expected from ULTRAPURE could enable new advances in quantum sensing, ultra-fast 6G communication, and satellite-free navigation and timing systems. In doing so, the project contributes to Europe’s technological sovereignty and offers broad benefits for the economy, society, and sustainability.

About ULTRAPURE
ULTRAPURE (Ultra-Low Noise Brillouin Laser Technology for Ultra-Pure Electromagnetic Wave Generation) is funded under the EIC Pathfinder programme, part of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s research and innovation framework. The project will run from 2025 to 2028.