With $25M grant, Univ. of Washington to lead new ultra high tech optoelectronics center

The University of Washington will lead a cohort of researchers from 11 universities as part of a newly founded the Center for Integration of Modern Optoelectronic Materials on Demand or IMOD. The National Science Foundation today announced that the effort will receive a five-year, $25 million Science and Technology Center grant.

Optoelectronics is all about creating next-generation optical components that make use of photons rather than electrons, but can interface with more traditional electronic circuitry. Devices incorporating optoelectronic technology include light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers, image sensors and components of quantum communication and computing technologies.