Founded in 1973, Paderborn University is a young, research-intensive institution located in the city of Paderborn in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The university community consists of around 269 professors, 1,509 academic staff, and 17,159 students, creating an inspiring academic environment. Combining a strong regional presence with an extensive international network, the university is an attractive destination for students and researchers alike.
Its expertise spans a wide range of disciplines offered through five faculties: Arts and Humanities, Business Administration and Economics, Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. Key areas of strength include Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing, Robotics, Sustainability, and Quantum Optics Research. Paderborn is internationally renowned for its work in photonics and optoelectronics, carried out in leading centers such as the Center for Optoelectronics and Photonics Paderborn (CeOPP) and the Institute for Photonics and Quantum Systems (PhoQS). Both institutes are equipped with state-of-the-art clean room facilities, enabling pioneering research in nanoscale and quantum technologies.
Semiconductors and Optoelectronic Devices (SOD) Group
The Semiconductors and Optoelectronic Devices (SOD) Group at Paderborn University, part of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology in the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, develops advanced optoelectronic and photonic semiconductor components for applications in communication, sensing, and imaging. Founded by Prof. Nils C. Gerhardt in April 2025 the group focuses on exploiting quantum effects in micro- and nanostructures to realize innovative devices with superior performance. Research areas include spin dynamics in semiconductor lasers, spin-LEDs, anisotropic and coupled microcavity-lasers, and advanced imaging techniques. As part of CeOPP, SOD benefits from state-of-the-art clean room facilities and new dedicated laser laboratories well equipped to develop and investigate spin-LEDs and spin-lasers.
Prof. Gerhardt and his team at UPB are responsible in this project for (1) the implementation of birefringence in the laser cavities to increase the polarization dynamics, (2) the ultrafast characterization of the intensity and polarization dynamics of spin lasers, (3) the development for fast polarization modulation concepts based on polarization oscillations and finally (4) the experimental demonstration of ultrafast polarization modulation and data transmission in electrically pumped spin laser devices. The experiments are being conducted in close collaboration with the group of Prof. Martin Hofmann, Photonics and Terahertz Technology at Ruhr University Bochum.
Nils Gerhardt
