Tampere University develops optical vortex beams as enabling technology...

25 Nov 2025

...and Paul Scherrer Institute launches technology transfer center for assembly of optical components.

A project at Finland's Tampere University has secured €4.4 million in funding to further its research into optical vortices.

The High-Power Optical Vortices (HiPOVor) project will train 15 doctoral researchers in the generation, amplification and application of high-power optical vortex beams.

The funding from the European Union Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program will support the establishment of optical vortex beams as a key enabling technology for advanced light-matter interaction.

In an optical vortex, light is twisted around its axis of travel in a corkscrew fashion. At the axis itself the light waves cancel each other out, so when projected onto a flat surface it appears as a ring of light with a dark area at the center.

Such vortices may offer a route to improved bandwidth in optical data comms, increasing the spectral efficiency of wireless communication. Other potential applications include boosting further the spatial resolutions possible in super-resolution microscopy, or assisting the hunt for extrasolar planets whose light may be otherwise hard to detect.

"Optical vortices, light beams carrying orbital angular momentum, open up unique possibilities for next-generation photonic technologies," commented Tampere University. "However, the widespread adoption of optical vortices has been hindered by the absence of reliable methods to generate and preserve their properties during propagation and interaction with matter."

The HiPOVor project will be officially launched on 1st January 2026, as a consortium of eight academic institutions specializing in structured light and high-power laser development, nine industrial partners, and the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) laser facility in Romania.

"High-power optical vortices are not only fascinating from a fundamental perspective, but also hold the potential to transform applications from precision manufacturing to high-resolution imaging," said Goëry Genty from Tampere University.

Swiss PIC offers integration services

In Switzerland another photonics research effort sees the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) inaugurate a new manufacturing centre for the integration of light-based microchips.

The center forms part of the Swiss Photonics Integration Center (Swiss PIC), created to help bring photonic microchips developed at numerous locations throughout Switzerland to market. Swiss PIC will also form part of the Swiss network of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Transfer Centers (AM-TTC).

Previous research at Paul Scherrer Institute has included work on boosting the resolution of EUV lithography, utilizing another of the Institute's facilities the Swiss Light Source (SLS).

Photonic integration and the precise assembly and connection of a system's optical and electronic components remain a significant technical challenge, noted PSI, often requiring different solutions for each product or component - which adds to the overall costs.

This requires specially developed processes and extensive experience, resources that many companies may lack, especially start-ups and SMEs. Swiss PIC intends to assemble photonic microchips for technology companies with industry-standard connectors, enabling rapid access to a much wider range of applications than would otherwise be possible.

"Especially for photonics companies with low volumes of production, integration presents a major hurdle for launching their products," commented Kirsten Moselund, co-initiator of Swiss PIC and head of the Laboratory for Nano and Quantum Technologies in the PSI Center for Photon Science.

"Swiss PIC’s manufacturing center for photonic integration contributes to establishing it as a hub for industrial and research activity in photonics. The strong interest in the opening is proof of the importance of photonics manufacturing as a key technology."