Project PROPEL brings together Compound Semiconductor Centre Ltd (CSC), Cardiff University and its Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS) & Chilas (Overijssel, the Netherlands).
The PROPEL team will co-develop a novel photonic integrated circuit (PIC) featuring a widely tunable, ultra-narrow linewidth laser (<50 kHz) operating at a central wavelength of 1 μm. The device will be optimised for non-invasive personal health monitoring applications, targeting physiological parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and hydration levels.
PROPEL represents a strategic collaboration between the CSconnected, the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales and the PhotonDelta ecosystem in the Netherlands, with support from East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NL). The project aligns with broader European industrial transformation goals, via the Vanguard Initiative (VInnovate), particularly under the Nano /Microsystems and High-Tech Materials Pilot and the VI Smart Health Pilot.