In this interview, Mr. Yilmaz Ucar, a PhD researcher at Microwave Photonics Gmbh, shares insights into his research on low-phase noise signal generation and fiber-optic transmission across frequencies up to the THz range. His work supports Move2THz’s focus on Indium Phosphide (InP)-based photonics technologies. The interview highlights his technical development and collaborative role, as well as the project’s broader goal of building a sustainable, fully European InP supply chain through the Move2THz project.

𝑸: 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒄/𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆2𝑻𝑯𝒛 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕?
A: My research topic is developing new optical methods and systems for low-phase noise signal generation and their fiber-optic transmission to remote sites. Since Move2THz supports innovative InP-based photonics technologies up to the THz range, there is a good correlation with my research focus.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕?
A: I studied for my master’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering, and recent advancements in THz technologies inspired me to follow this path. THz systems are quite intriguing in that they can offer solutions in a wide range of applications, including communication, imaging and sensing. I believe that Move2THz project will play an important role in THz technology development in Europe.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆2𝑻𝑯𝒛 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕? 𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔?
A: I work for Microwave Photonics (MWP) GmbH which is a start-up company from Germany, and I pursue my doctoral degree at University of Duisburg-Essen. In the company, I work as a Researcher, and I am mainly responsible for optical system design and performing laboratory experiments.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆?
A: I collaborate with other researchers in the company. We jointly design photonic/electronic systems and perform laboratory measurements. Depending on the task, either independent or collaborative work style is preferred.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒋𝒐𝒃?
A: On the technical aspect, I have already gained insights on developing a demo starting from the material level. Additionally, I improved my project management skills.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕?
A: Meeting the deadlines in case of an unpredictable delay is the biggest challenge for my role. To mitigate this, I acquire support from my colleagues.

𝑸: 𝑺𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒅𝒍𝒚. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒖𝒑𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔?
A: I try to stay updated with the state-of-the-art by following the latest publications and attending conferences and workshops. I already had knowledge of Indium Phosphide technologies. However, to see the full scope of the project, I had to quickly learn the Indium Phosphide on Silicon (InPoSi) concept.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆?
A: Key challenges for semiconductor industry over the next decade are costs due to shortage of raw materials and geopolitical volatility while the most significant opportunities are investing in sustainable manufacturing and reshoring to avoid any supply chain disruption.

𝑸: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 - 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆2𝑻𝑯𝒛 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆/𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆?
A: Move2THz aims to build a mature ecosystem that can provide a fully European InP supply chain. To achieve this in a sustainable way, Move2THz addresses all aspects, such as technological advancement, infrastructure, and education.

Many thanks for your valuable insights, Mr. Yilmaz Ucar. Best of luck as you move forward with your research!