The Photonics Research Labs of the iTEAM Research Institute at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has spun off the company iPRONICS Programmable Photonics S.L. iPRONICS will focus on the design, production and commercialization of unparalleled new optical circuits that will be used in many fields of application, such as artificial intelligence systems, autonomous driving, 5G wireless communications and, in the long run, quantum computing.
A groundbreaking product
According to Professor José Capmany, head of the Photonics Research Labs and iPRONICS cofounder, “our product is a major breakthrough in the field of Photonics. We have developed a general-purpose programmable photonic integrated circuit capable of performing different tasks depending on the application needed. As a result, this innovative optical chip can provide a wide range of functionalities within a single hardware architecture, in a similar way as electronic microprocessors do”. iPRONICS will therefore contribute to the development of the upcoming information processing systems, hand in hand with the incumbent electronic technology, benefiting from the best of both worlds in a synergistic way.
Cost reduction and optimized fabrication
One of the main advantages of choosing iPRONICS as optical chip provider is cost reduction as well as an optimization of the chip fabrication process. “This is possible because the physical hardware architecture is manufactured independently from the targeted functionality to be performed, what reduces the design and fabrication cost as well as the number of testing iterations”, highlights iPRONICS cofounder Dr. Ivana Gasulla.
A multidisciplinary group of international talent will be engaged to complete iPRONICS team. “Today, optical circuits are facing the same challenges that electronic devices managed to overcome 40 years ago”, says the company’s cofounder Dr. Daniel Pérez. “The research undertaken so far by the Photonics Research Labs places us in a privileged position to lead a revolution in the way photonic circuits will be used and integrated in the future”.
Along with Prof. José Capmany, Dr. Ivana Gasulla and Dr. Daniel Pérez, iPRONICS has been launched by iTEAM researcher Dr. Prometheus Dasmahapatra, Iñaki Berenguer, one of the most renowned entrepreneurs in Spain, and Eladio Crego as CEO.