Thales

Description of the legal entity :

Thales Research & Technology-France is located in France in Palaiseau near Paris. It is the main multidisciplinary research unit of the Thales Group, one of the major world players in aerospace, space, defense, and security. Through its internal activities and scientific links with industries and universities, either in France or internationally, Thales Research & Technology-France is participating in the preparation of Thales’ industrial future in strategic R&D fields. Thales Research & Technology-France is well equipped for this research with state-of-the-art 4.000 m2 clean-room facilities and 13.000 m2 laboratory area. Over 250 highly skilled permanent staff have access at Thales Research & Technology-France to all necessary processing equipment and specific test benches while being supported by in-house analysis laboratories.

The two research teams that will be part of this project, being the “Micro- and Nano-Physics Lab” and the “Waves and Signal Processing Lab”, are part of the Physics Research Group. The “Micro- and Nano- Physics” laboratory contains a lot of expertise in nanophotonics, electro-optics (materials and devices), advanced laser sources, non-linear optics, optical signal processing and optoelectronics for microwave and sensing systems. The laboratory has acquired a strong know-how in the conception of photonic integrated circuits with various material platforms for innovative applications. 

The “Waves and Signal Processing Lab” is focused on the development of electro-optic sensors (LIDAR, active imaging, etc.) and the demonstration of advanced signal processing architectures. Particularly in this lab, FMCW coherent lidar architecture is studied for laser anemometry (addressing the domain of helicopter flight safety), or for range finding and velocimetry (for train safety/autonomy).

The combination of all these expertise areas and the strategic role of Thales Research & Technology-France for evaluating and identifying new key technologies to be implemented in the future generation of Thales’ products makes it an excellent end-user partner for this project. Having the possibility to access an open manufacturing pilot line may benefit not only the de-risking of new technologies and building PoC and development prototypes, but it will also help addressing the problems concerned with supplying specific optics, to the benefit of for instance the autonomy and security of trains, which is clearly a priority area.

Role in the project :

The role of Thales per WP in OPHELLIA is:

As a consortium member, Thales is responsible for attending and participating in the project meetings and providing all the information necessary to enable the UT to conduct sound project management.

Thales will contribute to the specifications and driving the tests related to the FMCW LIDAR.

Thales will contribute to the design of the Si3N4 passive circuits of the ultra-narrow linewidth modulated laser for the FMCW demonstrator and to the optimization of the isolator.

Thales has no role in this WP.

Thales is (jointly) responsible for the exploitation and dissemination of project results.

Infrastructure and facilities :

  • Processing and metrology of microwave photonics devices and architectures
  • Metrology for laser characterization (phase and relative intensity noise)
  • Control loops for both microwave and lasers sources
  • LIDARs and remote sensing systems: FMCW fibered lidar with integrated signal processing
  • Non reciprocal magneto-optical materials : Pulsed Laser deposition in clean rooms
  • Expertise in technology transfers and the build-up of necessary value chain with and for the business units of Thales in collaboration with SMEs

Address :

1, Avenue Augustin Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau Cedex

Contact :

+33 (0)1 57 77 80 00
support.internet@thalesgroup.com

www.thalesgroup.com