CLEAR: innovation and practical applications supported by an ERC grant
Among the recipients of the Proof of Concept (PoC) grants announced today by the European Research Council (ERC) is Miriam Serena Vitiello from Cnr Nano in Pisa. She has been awarded funding for the project CLEAR, which aims to develop innovative, miniaturized devices capable of emitting “optical frequency combs” (precisely spaced and combined frequencies) in the terahertz range (2–5 THz), corresponding to far-infrared radiation. Based on quantum cascade laser technology, these devices will be compact, cost-effective, and energy-efficient, paving the way for new industrial and everyday applications.
The ERC Proof of Concept grant recognises projects of the highest scientific quality that demonstrate the potential to transform cutting-edge research into tangible solutions for society and industry. Details of CLEAR and the other funded projects were officially announced today by the European Research Council.
A future for diagnostics and telecommunications
CLEAR promises to revolutionize spectroscopy and wireless communications by enabling advanced devices to be integrated on a millimeter scale into portable or even wearable instruments. Applications include medical diagnostics (such as breath analysis), environmental and industrial monitoring through gas trace detection, protein biospectroscopy, and security, with the ability to identify hazardous substances like explosives.
As an evolution of the ERC Consolidator Grant project “SPRINT,” CLEAR introduces a critical innovation: the integration of advanced technologies into a compact and scalable system for industrial and everyday use.
A global recognition for an outstanding career
Miriam Serena Vitiello, already a recipient of an ERC Consolidator Grant and two previous ERC PoC grants, leads groundbreaking projects in photonics and THz technologies. She heads the Cnr Nano THz Photonics research group based at the NEST Laboratory of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa.
Vitiello ERC recognition comes just in the same days as she will be awarded another prestigious honor: a SPIE Achievement Award conferred by SPIE – the international society for optics and photonics. The award, to be presented on January 28 at the Photonics West 2025 conference in San Francisco, recognizes “her exceptional scientific contributions, educational efforts, and service to the community.”
