May 7th  ordinary meeting the Council for priority areas of the Strategy for the Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation “Transition to advanced digital, intelligent production technologies, robotic systems, new materials and design methods, the creation of systems for big data processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence” was led by academician Igor Kalyaev.

At this remote meeting, the Director of the MEPhI Institute of Nanotechnology in Electronics, Spintronics and Photonics Nikolay Kargin presented a request for the development of a complex scientific and technical program of full innovation cycle “Microwave photonics: promising systems and technologies for the reception, processing, and transmission of information”. It combines offers from more than 30 Russian scientific organizations, universities, and enterprises. The program is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, as well as large enterprises of the industry.

The Council meeting was attended by over 50 people, among them academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences and heads of key organizations — participants and customers of the program. The event was organized at a high level using a domestic video communication system on the basis of Avtomatika Concern JSC.

Based on discussion results and Council decision, the request was approved. The participants were instructed to start preparing the program proposal and comprehensive research plan, which will include more than a hundred research and development projects designed to develop technologies, components, devices and systems of microwave photonics.

Microwave photonics is the basis of modern high-speed communications, especially fiber-optic networks and radar systems for various applications. Integrated microwave photonics technologies are being actively developed abroad — compact circuits on a chip, combining optical and electronic components to perform complex signal processing operations.

Russia is also conducting research in this area. MEPhI, together with the P.L.Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems, Skoltech and the industrial partner of OKB-Planet, carried out the project “Development of Technologies and Components of Integrated Microwave Photonics” in 2017-2019.  NESPI employees have successfully implemented  the technology of a key component of photonic integrated circuit — electro-optic modulators on an indium phosphide substrate with a wavelength range 1.55 μm — at MEPhI Nanocenter.

The complex scientific and technical program of the full innovation cycle will allow effectively using the results of research works to create a complete innovation cycle of microwave photon systems and technologies in the Russian Federation. It is worth reminding that the Consortium for the development of microwave photon technologies in the Russian Federation was created on the basis of MEPhI. It will serve as the organizational basis for the program implementation.