The project activity focused on the development of advanced direct-conversion detectors for X/γ-ray systems, which are critical for applications requiring reliable detection of radiation, ranging from single photons to high fluxes within the broad mid-energy spectrum. Traditional materials such as Si and Ge have limitations, particularly in detecting higher energy ranges, which motivates the search for semiconductors with a wider band gap, higher X/γ-ray absorption efficiency, and favorable electrical characteristics.

This activity analysed the feasibility and performance of the quantum pulse gate (QPG) technique for noise rejection in optical communication systems. The optical frequency band is expected to play an increasingly important role in space communications due to a substantial increase in available data rates with respect to radio transmission, as well as enhanced information security. The main limiting factor for the performance of an optical link is the background noise collected by the receiver, especially when operated at low signal powers, e.g.

The project aimed at developing a miniaturized fully electronic system for real-time monitoring of the amount of dust particles depositing on it. The project of this Electronic Dust Counter has been targeting avionics and space mission’s requirements, where particle contamination can alter the operation of instruments and scientific payloads, by providing a measure and a verification of the deposition events on space hardware during fabrication, assembly and in the launch phase as well as during long missions.

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are indispensable for data transmission within modern data centers and pervade multiple application spheres traditionally limited to bulk optics, such as LiDAR and biosensing. Recent advances in thin film Lithium Niobate (LNOI) have shown the major potential of LNOI integrated photonic circuits, which exhibit strong Pockels effect enabling ultrafast and efficient electro-optical modulation but are difficult to process via dry etching.

Background and justification:

Current European RF GaN power processes are optimised for up to K band, however the efficiency is less than is required to meet future planned missions. In order to meet the need for operation up to W band with up to 20% improvement in efficiency, together with improvements in linearity, a step change in device architecture is required.

Industry pushes towards higher operation temperatures of diodes while reducing cost. SiC technology with plastic packaging offers promising results able to match these requirements. Some applications (i.e. spaceship solar arrays) requirements are as high as 250°C. This application was considered as potential target application for the project test units designed.

Three different device types were designed, manufactured, and tested in the frame of the project using well known SiC Schottky dies, three mould compounds and two die configurations: