Fraunhofer IOF at W3+

Optical components and systems

Our Highlight:

SLITA – Assembly for the FLEX mission

For the ESA FLEX mission, which aims to collect data on Earth's vegetation from space, researchers at Fraunhofer IOF have developed a double-slit assembly with exceptional accuracy. A high-precision double slit with slit widths of exactly 84 (-0/+2) micrometers over a length of 44.15 millimeters was realized.

The device is designed so that the silicon double slit is mounted in a mechanical holder, making the assembly robust enough to withstand the harsh conditions during the launch of the FLEX satellite without damage. To achieve this, a special mounting concept was developed combining form fit, clamping, and bonding.

Press release ESA mission FLEX

We also present the following exhibits:

• N-LaK9 lens: Laser-based soldering technology (Solderjet Bumping)
• Multispectral filter arrays: VNIR and SWIR filter arrays with integrated single filter strips, e.g. for the earth observation system of the Sentinel 2 mission
• CO₂ laser-spliced fiber collimator: with outstanding performance for a laser interferometer between satellites

Micro- and Nano optics

Our Highlight:

More efficient circuits for AI and quantum computers

Lithium niobate has long been considered the standard material for modulating optical signals, both in telecommunications and in laser amplifiers. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have further developed thin-film lithium niobate (LNOI) to build integrated optical circuits. The process uses technology from semiconductor manufacturing and is therefore immediately scalable. The lithium niobate waveguide chip with Mach-Zehnder interferometer forms the heart of a photonic quantum computer and was developed as part of the PhoQuant project..

Press release PhoQuant waveguide chip

We also present the following exhibits:

• Spectrometer grating for ESA climate mission Sentinel-4
• Meta-surface with a diameter of 30 centimeters: particularly advantageous for compact optics that require large deflection angles in a small space
• High-precision microstructuring using gray-scale lithography
• Light field display: Multilayer microoptics with 3D motifs
• Meta-mirror for extreme conditions

Imaging and Sensing

Our Highlight:

Robust high-speed 3D measurement systems

The Fraunhofer IOF's goCRASH3D and goSPE3D systems use two high-speed cameras and powerful lighting to capture up to 12,000 2D images per second. This allows around 1,200 3D images to be calculated.

The innovative GOBO technology developed by Fraunhofer IOF projects a non-periodic pattern onto objects and provides precise 3D data. This makes safety-related processes, such as the deployment of airbags or car body deformation in collisions, measurable. goSPE3D records processes in fields of up to 1.5 x 1.5 m² from the outside, while goCRASH3D can be used directly inside the vehicle thanks to its robust design.

To the image processing topic page

We also present the following exhibits:

• Mobile 3D capture of complex objects with goSCOUT3D

QuNET-Initiative

Our Highlight:

Model of a metal telescope for optical free-space links

A breadboard of a miniaturized metal telescope is presented, which was developed as a transmitting and receiving unit for free-space optical links in quantum communication (QKD) within the QuNET initiative. The telescope is made of an aluminum-silicon material and is based on a four-mirror design with an aperture of 100 mm.

It combines a topology-optimized, additively manufactured housing structure with an active tip-tilt mirror and five additional optical functional surfaces integrated on two substrates. Ultra-precise diamond machining allows multiple free-form surfaces to be created on a single substrate. After coatings and polishing, this results in powerful, high-performance optics for the miniaturized telescope.

To the optical systems topic page

de:hub Photonics & Digital Experience Platforms

With a focus on "Digitizing High-Tech Industries", the "de:hub Photonics & Digital Experience Platforms", a joint startup initiative of Fraunhofer IOF, OptoNet e.V. and Jena Digital e.V., puts the spotlight on innovative companies and research institutions in the Thuringian ecosystem.

On the evening before the fair, the "de:hub Warmup"-Event offers exciting impulses from the start-up world and a wide range of networking opportunities (Tuesday, 23.09.2025, from 18:00, Jena Digital Innovation Hub (JEDI), Engelplatz 8).

At the joint stand in the Innovation Area (Hall 3), 4 startups from the de:hub network will present themselves on both days of the trade fair, show their prototypes and be available for exchange and discussion. In the pitch session in the Innovation Area (Thursday, 25.09.2025, 10:30-11:30 a.m.), young companies will present exclusive startup pitches from the de:hub ecosystem - short, crisp, inspiring.

The "de:hub Photonics & Digital Experience Platforms" program will conclude with the topic block "Digitizing High-Tech-Industries" on Thursday afternoon (25.09.2025, 14:30-17:00, en-tech.stage, Hall 1). In exciting short presentations, the speakers will show how digital technologies from AI and smart automation to the digital product passport are transforming high-tech industries.