Jena/Erfurt, April 23, 2026. Thuringian researchers are advancing the development of high-precision nanostructures. A new machine is intended to manufacture photonic components up to one square meter in size with atomic accuracy in the future.
- What: Research project for large-scale nanostructures
- Funding: 4 million euros by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
- Precision: Positioning accuracy smaller than an atom
- Kick-off: May 6, 2026, at the Quantum Photonics trade fair in Erfurt
Overcoming the Limits of Current Manufacturing
The production of high-precision nanostructures on photonic components is currently still subject to significant spatial restrictions. Using conventional methods, these structures can currently only be realized over a maximum extent of about 30 centimeters. However, for future-oriented technologies in optics and quantum physics, this scale is often no longer sufficient.
To overcome this limitation, a team of Thuringian scientists is working on the development of a novel machine. The ambitious goal is to manufacture nanostructures on an area of up to one square meter in the future. Remarkable in this context is the targeted positioning accuracy: it is intended to occur in dimensions smaller than a single atom.
Million-Euro Funding for the Research Location
The enormous potential of this technological innovation has also convinced at the federal level. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is supporting the pioneering project with a funding amount of four million euros. The official starting signal for the project will be marked by a kick-off event taking place on May 6 as part of the “Quantum Photonics” trade fair in the Thuringian state capital Erfurt.
Background: Thüringen as a Center for Photonics
Thüringen, and especially the region around the “Lichtstadt” Jena, is considered worldwide as one of the most significant centers for optics and photonics. Research institutions here have been driving the development of light technologies for decades. Nanostructures play a decisive role in modern optics. They are required to guide, shape, or filter light at a microscopic level.
Large-scale photonic components are of enormous importance, for example, for high-resolution space telescopes, novel laser systems, or in the semiconductor industry. The possibility of producing such highly complex structures almost flawlessly on an entire square meter in the future could significantly reduce production costs and open up completely new fields of application in data transmission and quantum communication.
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Large-scale nanostructures with atomic precision
Transparency note: This article was automatically created, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.