Press & Events

The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has been involved in development of OLED-on-silicon sensors for years. The researchers have recently developed a miniaturized phosphorescence sensor that combines a marker and sensor on very small chip surface that could be produced at low cost in the long term. Researchers will present the first prototype of the sensor, which is currently designed for oxygen ratio monitoring, at embedded world 2019, 26-28 February in Nuremberg, Germany, at the Fraunhofer Joint Booth in Hall 4, Booth No. 4-470.

Photonics West in San Francisco is one of the world's leading international trade fairs for optical technologies and at the same time a global meeting place for science and industry. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF from Jena is one of around 40 Thuringia-based exhibitors who will be presenting their concentrated optical know-how at the German Pavilion in the Moscone Center from February 5 to 7, 2019. One of the trends this year are optical technologies for earth observation.

The phenomenon of so-called superlubricity is known, but so far the explanation at the atomic level has been missing: for example, how does extremely low friction occur in bearings? Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institutes IWM and IWS jointly deciphered a universal mechanism of superlubricity for certain diamond-like carbon layers in combination with organic lubricants. Based on this knowledge, it is now possible to formulate design rules for supra lubricating layer-lubricant combinations. The results are presented in an article in Nature Communications, volume 10.

From January 8th to 11th, 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF is presenting an entangled photon source for satellite-based quantum communication for the first time at the world's largest trade fair for consumer electronics - the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. Such connected or »entangled« pairs of photons should in future be used for secure encryption technologies.

On February 20, 2019 in Aachen, the practical applications will be the focus of the first Laser Symposium on Electromobility (LSE 2019): The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT invites you to ten lectures with experts from industry and research, who will present new laser-based production methods for the production of battery modules and packs.

Fraunhofer IPM was able to prevail against global competition as one of the two winners at the Swedish SmartSteel Innovation Challenge. The competition looked for processes for label-free tracing of steel products. By the end of last year, 26 teams from all over the world had placed themselves to this task. Fraunhofer IPM convinced the jury with »Track & Trace FINGERPRINT«, a method for label-free tracing.

In the future, a compact multisensor system should provide precise and objective measurement data of tunnel constructions. The system will collect data on geometry, surface structure and water inlet in tunnels in a single measuring procedure and will provide the measurement data in digital format, compliant with BIM. The German AKG company group, Amberg Technologies AG from Switzerland and Elaborarium SL from Spain are working with Fraunhofer IPM as research partner in a joint project for the integrated inspections process for which a novel multisensor system will be developed.

Over 100 million people in Southern Africa have no access to clean water – many sources in rural areas are contaminated. In the SafeWaterAfrica project, African and European partners are working closely together to develop a decentralized system solution for water purification that can be operated and maintained autonomously by rural inhabitants. The system covers the clean water needs of several hundred people. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST are coordinating the project.

Separate glass with any desired contour? Without generating dust and reworking the edges? This is possible, even quickly, with specially shaped ultrashort laser pulses. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is developing a technology that – with refractive and diffractive optical elements – gives laser beams a form optimally adapted to the respective task. In addition, the applications go far beyond separating glass: In the future, head-up displays for the automotive industry will also be produced.

A further step in growing the German-Taiwanese cooperation has been made: On 16 November 2018, the Feng Chia University and the Fraunhofer IST opened jointly the Institute of Plasma (IoP) in Taichung in Taiwan.