Photonics for Defence, Space & Aerospace
Beyond RF.
Light for the most demanding missions.
We design, develop, manufacture and integrate advanced photonic solutions for Electronic Warfare, SIGINT, RF-over-Fibre and satellite payloads.
Who we are
Photonics that gives our customers a decisive advantage.
Founded in 2005, DAS Photonics is a Spanish high-technology company, part of EM&E Group, specialised in the design, development, manufacturing and integration of advanced photonic solutions for Defence, Avionics, Space and Strategic Communications.
We combine deep expertise in photonics, radiofrequency systems and mission-critical technologies to deliver solutions for Electronic Warfare, Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), RF-over-Fibre communications, photonic antennas and satellite payloads.
From a research-driven spin-off to a trusted partner of leading defence contractors, aerospace organisations and government agencies worldwide, our technologies are operationally proven in the most demanding environments.
2005
Founded in Valencia, Spain
40GHz
Instantaneous bandwidth in our R-ESM systems
−30%
SWaP reduction vs. legacy RF technologies
15years
Designed lifetime under space operation
Markets
Mission-critical photonics, from the battlefield to orbit.
Our developments reduce size, weight and power consumption, increase bandwidth and spectral performance, and enhance electromagnetic immunity and reliability.
01 · Defence, Security & Avionics
Prevailing in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Next-generation radar and communication threat awareness, countermeasures and signal intelligence — beyond state-of-the-art solutions for land, naval and airborne platforms, able to cope with the most advanced techniques.
- R-ESM / ELINT: 0.5–40 GHz, true 100% probability of interception
- C-ESM / COMINT: 20–6,000 MHz monitored instantaneously
- R-ECM: photonic RF memory for nanosecond-latency deception
- C-UAV: detection, jamming and spoofing for critical infrastructure
02 · Space & Satellite Communications
Payloads that think in light.
Key enabling photonic technologies to upgrade satellite payload performance: broadband, low loss, low mass and power, excellent phase stability and EMI-free — towards 1 Tbps payloads with hundreds of reconfigurable beams from Ku to Q/V band.
- Photonic multi-frequency converters, qualified with flight heritage
- Active optical cables: 10 Gb/s digital and 50 GHz RF over fibre
- Rad-hard erbium-doped fibre amplifiers
- Broadband photoreceivers up to 42 GHz
03 · Strategic Communications
Advanced photonics for what comes next.
From quantum key distribution in space to terahertz photonics and photonic integrated circuits, we push the technologies that will secure and connect tomorrow’s strategic systems.
- Quantum signal source for ESA’s QKDSat mission
- Quantum computing for strategic industries (CUCO)
- Terahertz photonics (TERAOPTICS)
- In-house photonic integrated circuits (PIC)
Technology
Beyond RF & electronics.
Photonics is the only technology able to overcome the bottleneck of traditional RF and electronics in processing speed, flexibility, reconfigurability and SWaP.
01 · The challenge
Electronics reach their limit.
Defence receivers must track fifth-generation LPI threats across ever-wider bands, while next-generation High Throughput Satellites aim at 1 Tbps. RF technology cannot deliver that at a reasonable SWaP and cost.
1 Tbps target capacity of next-generation HTS
02 · Conversion
RF signals, carried by light.
Our products detect, transport, route and analyse complex broadband RF signals in real time thanks to photonics-assisted processing — handling higher frequencies and wider bandwidths with sharper resolution.
0.5–40 GHz monitored instantaneously
03 · Processing
Many wavelengths, one fibre.
Wavelength-division multiplexing brings flexibility no copper can match: dynamic, broadband, tuneable architectures that scale with future scenarios and user demands.
−30% SWaP vs. legacy technologies
04 · Integration
Photonic integrated circuits.
We combine proven COTS devices with in-house PIC developments, qualified against the vibration, shock, thermal, EMI/EMC and outgassing requirements of space and defence — the path to drones and nano-satellites.
15 years designed lifetime in orbit
R&D Projects
Advancing photonics, programme by programme.
We have led and participated in FP6, FP7 and H2020 projects, ESA and EDA R&D programmes, and national and regional programmes — maturing proprietary technologies later transferred to our product portfolio.
Quantum
QKDSat
Quantum signal source for ESA’s QKDSat quantum communications mission
Defence & Security
MAGICIAN
Reconfigurable metasurfaces by inverse design for space and defence applications
Photonic components
MAGNIFIC
Advanced photonic components
Photonic components
DISRUPT
Disruptive photonic technologies
Quantum
CUCO
Quantum computing and its application to strategic industries
TERAOPTICS
Terahertz photonics for communications, space, security, radio-astronomy and material science
Space
PhLEXSAT
Photo-digital channelizer for flexible digital High Throughput Satellites
SMOS
Optical harness for future L-band radiometer
Space
OPTIMA
Towards demonstration of a photonic payload for telecom satellites
Space
SODaH
Software Defined Space Optical Data Highway
RETINA
Miniaturised photonics-enabled next-generation SAR
RECTOR
Ultra-high bandwidth RF photonic receiver with signal intelligence
HOFER
Wideband frequency-hopping follower jammer
MERMIG
Modular CMOS photonic integrated micro-gyroscope
Flight heritage
Already in orbit.
DAS photonic modules and subsystems fly on board commercial and institutional satellites. In 2018 we became the first company worldwide to embark a broadband photonic multi-frequency converter on a commercial satellite.
HISPASAT 30W-6
Broadband photonic multi-frequency converter — launched March 2018
HISPASAT AMAZONAS 5
Photonic payload modules
ALPHASAT
Photonic payload modules
EUTELSAT 7C
Photonic payload modules
PROBA-V
Photonic subsystems for Earth observation
QKDSat
Quantum signal source — in development for ESA
Quality & certifications
Built for the most demanding environments.
Quality, reliability and continuous improvement are fundamental pillars of our activity. Our management systems cover the entire product lifecycle — from design and development to manufacturing, integration and customer support.
ISO 9001
Quality Management Systems
EN 9100
Aerospace Quality Management Systems
AQAP 2110
NATO Quality Assurance for Design, Development and Production
Part of EM&E Group
DAS Photonics is a member of EM&E Group, a Spanish industrial group specialised in the design, development and manufacture of defence and security systems. Read our Quality Policy.
Contact
Let’s talk photonics.
Tell us about your programme or technical challenge and our team will get back to you.
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Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación
Camino de Vera s/n, Acceso K, Edificio 8F
46022 Valencia · Spain
Open in maps - +34 963 556 150