Institutes

ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences (Catalan:Institut de Ciències Fotòniques) (Spanish: Instituto de Ciencias Fotónicas) is a research center devoted to the science and technology of light. Located in Castelldefels (Barcelona, Spain), ICFO[1] was created in 2002 by the Government of Catalonia and the Technical University of Catalonia.

Research at ICFO encompasses four broad thematic areas: nonlinear photonics, quantum photonics, nanophotonics, and biophotonics. Researchers work in a great variety of fields, including quantum information technologies, nanophotonic devices, remote sensors, optoelectronics, integrated optics, ultrafast optics, biophotonics, and biomedical optics. Projects are run as part of both medium- and long-term programs.

Part of its mission is to train new scientists and technologists. ICFO currently hosts more than 400 researchers in 26 research groups working in over 60 laboratories. The research that the center carries out is possible thanks to the different facilities within the institute: Nanophotonics Fabrication lab, Super-Resolution Light Microscopy & Nanoscopy Lab, an Advanced Engineering Lab, among others.