811th WE-Heraeus Seminar sheds light on "Photonics for Information Processing"

Photonics is an evolving field with immense potential to address the ever-increasing demands of information processing and data transmission. Despite promising breakthroughs, current developments and research efforts are slowed down by moderate device efficiencies as well as detrimental reliability and production time of device fabrication. The demonstration of the full advantage of photonics in information processing still requires addressing several challenges. These include developing new more efficient materials, rapid-prototyping manufacturing techniques and design approaches, and in turn improving the efficiency and reliability of photonic integrated devices, and advancing photonic-electronic interfaces and control at the system level for improving and implementing operating algorithms.

Within this workshop, we want to cover the topic of photonics in information processing in a broad overview with a combination of expert lectures, and discussions, complemented by contributed short-talks and poster presentations. The workshop focuses on sharpening the view for scalability in the context of materials, design and fabrication and investigate the latest and upcoming trends. By fostering collaboration, interdisciplinary discussions, and transfer of knowledge, the seminar seeks to push the boundaries of photonic information processing beyond the current horizon to establish potentially novel research directions. At the same time, we will give young scientists an insight into the current problems and proposed research directions and enable networking with leading experts.

The speakers include:

• Peter Bienstman (University of Ghent, Belgium)
• Daniel Brunner (Institute FEMTO-ST, CNRS, France)
• Maurizio Burla (TU Berlin, Germany)
• Rachel Grange (ETH Zürich, Switzerland)
• Alina Karabchevsky (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel)
• Henning Menzel (Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany)
• Bhavin J. Shastri (Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada)
• Isabelle Staude (University of Jena, Germany)
• Birgit Stiller (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany)
• Clivia M. Sotomayor Torres (Catalan Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain)

The conference's language will be English. The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation will cover full-board accommodation costs for all participants.

All further information can be found on the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation website. You can also register there until 14 April 2024: Link to the registration form.