OREANDA-NEWS. Alcatel-Lucent, Thales and CEA-Leti have signed a memorandum of understanding with mirSense, a start-up formed by Mathieu Carras and Mickael Brun, to market a disruptive technology developed by their joint research unit, III-V Lab. mirSense will manufacture miniaturised tunable laser sources that are expected to revolutionise the infrared spectrometry market.

Infrared spectrometry has a wide range of applications (industrial, environmental, security and medical) as a quick and reliable way to identify organic molecules, but current systems are so large and costly that they can only be used in a laboratory setting.

mirSense will apply research into Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) conducted by the III-V Lab, combined with a unique silicon photonic technology in the medium infrared band, to produce electro-optical components of a completely new type. The new components will make it possible to develop affordable, ultra-compact chemical analysis systems to monitor gas emissions, detect hazardous substances or analyse bio samples.

Under the terms the memorandum of understanding, mirSense will further develop the research begun by the III-V Lab. The company can already count on public founded research contracts and expects to book firm orders and make its first product shipments this year, helping to finance future growth and development.

About the mirSense

mirSense is an SAS capitalised to 50 000€ created in January 2015. An operating team of 10 researchers coming from III-V semiconductors and Silicon research and industry has already been constituted. mirSense is divided into two operating sites located in Palaiseau for the Laser research activity and in Grenoble for the Si research and products industrialisation. We have access to clean room facilities through a strong partnership with III-V Lab for manufacturing our innovative semi-conductor devices and we rely on a joined development program with CEA Leti to prepare the next product generation.