Optics & Photonics are key technologies of the 21st century. They form, e.g., the basis for today’s optical communications, environmental sensing, biomedical diagnostics in the life sciences,
energy efficient lighting and solar energy harvesting. This is reflected in the fact that the average annual growth of the Optics & Photonics market has exceeded 10% throughout the last five years. With an overall volume of more than 250 Billion €/a worldwide the field of Optics & Photonics is one of the most important branches of high-technology industry.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) comprises two domains, one a state university of Baden-Württemberg and one a national research center within the Helmholtz Association. Within this unique institution, the Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics (KSOP) has been founded in 2006 as a multidisciplinary graduate school at the interface of the natural sciences and engineering disciplines. Future progress and growth rely on dedicated research and graduates trained in an interdisciplinary environment. Consequently, the KSOP has set up the KSOP Research Areas to cover many important aspects of Optics & Photonics.
