Press Releases

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF will once again be presenting new state-of-the-art developments at North America’s largest photonics trade fair, including coating technologies and metal mirrors for space applications. A special highlight this year is the public workshop of the growth core fo+ [freeform optics plus] all around the topic of freeform technologies. Besides presentations by regional partners, the Fraunhofer IOF will present its competencies in the fields of metal optics and additive manufacturing. Admission is free.

At CES (Consumer Electronics Show), international manufacturers from the electronics industry present the latest products and show the trends of the future. Fraunhofer IOF from Jena is among the 100 exhibitors in 2020. In addition to 3D imaging processes for healthcare or security applications, the institute will be showcasing a new LED lighting technology for automotive headlamps.

Six Fraunhofer Institutes have demonstrated the individualization of single products in mass production environments by the employment of digital printing and laser technologies. This substantial progress provides completely new opportunities for design and weight reduction by material savings.

The topic of recruiting young talent plays an essential role for the optics and photonics industry. For this reason, the Fraunhofer IOF organizes its traditional annual event - the Photonics Days Jena - this year in cooperation with the photonics graduate school Max Planck School of Photonics. For three days, students and PhD students from all over Germany can network with representatives of renowned photonics companies and gain perspectives for their careers.

Tumor or no tumor – to decide, we need to have a close look at the tissue sample. Light doesn't just make hidden things visible, however; it also damages or destroys living cells. Little more than a snapshot is currently possible. Fraunhofer scientists have now developed a new method allowing light-sensitive samples to be observed for a longer time period with higher resolution.

Additive manufacturing, quantum technologies, active optics for space applications – once again, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF presents the latest cutting-edge technologies in optics and photonics research at this year’s LASER World of PHOTONICS in Munich. From June 24 - 27, 2019, experts will be present at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall B3, booth 335) to answer questions and showcase »Photonics – Made in Jena«.

Success in the increasingly competitive automobile market is reserved for those who combine well-engineered products with attractive design, for example through the perfect integration of headlamps. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new lighting technology that gives designers more freedom to create vehicles with unconventional styling and also provides additional benefits to drivers and auto manufacturers alike. The prototype will be presented at the LASER World of PHOTONICS trade fair from June 24 - 27, 2019.

Experts from 13 different Fraunhofer institutes are working on the development of multi-kW ultrafast lasers and various applications in the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS. A user facility with application laboratories in Aachen and Jena is being created for this purpose, laboratories in which partners from industry and research can work with the new technology.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have taken their first images using a novel quantum imaging technology. Using a so-called "single crystal set up", the scientists were able to generate quantum images and videos. This technology is particularly relevant for the field of life sciences, since it allows to image tissue with particularly high contrast and information, while at the same time maintaining a low illumination dose.

Together with the head of Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF and Institute of Applied Physics of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Prof. Andreas Tünnermann, Thuringia's minister for economic affairs and science, Wolfgang Tiefensee, has launched the »Digital Innovation Hub Photonics« today. The aim of the project is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) and startups to turn their ideas into marketable products as quickly as possible. The project is being coordinated by the High Performance Center for Photonics in Jena.