• Project title: Sensitivity-Enhanced Quantum Mid-Infrared Optical Coherence Tomography for Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing
• Acronym: QMIRACT
• Duration: 36 months (start: 01.11.2025)
• Funding: Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG
• Program: Quantum to Market 2024/25

The project focuses on leveraging novel photonic quantum sensing techniques to develop a unique instrument featuring a monolithic pump-enhanced source of entangled photons for advanced materials research, quality control and assurance, and zero-waste production in high-tech industries with strong market demand and growth potential.

The development is rooted in the exploitation of the properties of entangled photon pairs (metrology with undetected photons) in a unique, cost-effective OCT for high-sensitivity structural analysis, imaging, and efficient defectoscopy.

The target application field  is emerging high-tech additive ceramics manufacturing. The proposed solution aims to provide new insights into the properties of ceramic materials (with a special focus on complex multi-component parts), to promote additive manufacturing, and to provide easy at-line measurements for verification and validation of digitally designed parts. Progress in additive ceramics manufacturing is of high importance across multiple fields, from biomedicine (implant development) to industrial applications and micro-electronics.