The laboratory, under the supervision of Dr. Pierfrancesco Ulpiani, conducts research across various areas of electro-optical devices and systems ranging from multifunctional optical surfaces to integrated optics and photonic integration of complex optical building block.  It also plays an active role in national and international projects to make a bridge between low technology readiness level and industrial applications.

This research area addresses the development of advanced multifunctional optical surfaces enabled by materials engineering and nanostructuring, to achieve a tailored and/or reconfigurable electromagnetic response over different spectral ranges. The research is driven to meet stringent performance, integration, and environmental requirements in applications where adaptive behavior, compactness, and multifunctionality are key enablers for next-generation systems.

What we do

• Design, development and testing of surfaces with ad hoc optical, electrical and thermal properties for applications in, e.g., radiative thermal management, adaptive and low observable technologies.
• Engineering of multilayer optical coatings with custom electromagnetic properties for applications in complex platforms (e.g. airborne, space or ground-based).
• Design of metasurfaces and nanostructured optical components enabling compact, lightweight, and smart optical functionalities.

This research area focuses on integrated photonics and advanced sensing technologies aimed at enabling compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient electro-optical systems. The activity addresses both component-level innovation and system-level integration, targeting a reduction in size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) of current optical solutions. The research is driven by applications in optical communication systems, imaging, and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), as well as by the development of innovative vision concepts seamlessly integrated into existing optical payloads.

What we do

• Design and modeling of photonic integrated circuits to replace bulky electro-optical building blocks including interaction with external foundries and packaging partners, supporting technology selection, layout optimization and fabrication flows.
• Experimental testing and validation at both chip level and system level, including performance assessment under representative operational conditions.
• Development of innovative sensing concepts targeting enhanced situational awareness and reduced data and power budgets, including event-driven (neuromorphic) camera sensors.
• Development of event-driven data processing algorithms and multi-sensor data fusion for object detection and tracking in dynamic environments.

2025 conference contributions

• Quantum 2.0 2025 – “Path towards single photon detection at the mid-infrared wavelenghts at room temperature”
• SPIE Sensors & Imaging – “Leonardo Optronics Innovation Hub: advanced photonic materials, nanotechnologies and components put to work”

 Media

• Leonardo, frontiera dell’innovazione. È qui il cuore della Optical Valley
• Il mantello di Harry Potter: prospettive e progressi nella ricerca dell’invisibilità ottica