360 CARLA Career Symposium & Training Grenoble
From Monday, 23 march 2026 to Tuesday, 24 march 2026
LIVE STREAM
About the Event
Join the 2-Day Carla Symposium & Training at Institut NÉEL, Grenoble, France
We are excited to invite you to an inspiring event, taking place on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, 2026, designed to showcase academic excellence and industrial opportunities in photonics. This event is ideal for master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral students who want to explore the latest technological advances, career paths, and professional opportunities in photonics.
Online participation is open for everyone interested. Attendance is free, but onsite places are limited. Register for online or onsite participation before March 19 to secure your spot.
Please note: A €40 fee applies in the case of late cancellation of registration or a no-show.
Registered participants will be contacted at the beginning of March to confirm their participation.
Please note: The afternoon training sessions are only available for onsite participants, while the morning tutorials are accessible both online and onsite. A €40 fee applies in the case of late cancellation of registration or a no-show.
PHD Students from the EEATS, PHYS and IMEP2 doctoral schools who complete the full training will be eligible to apply for ECTS credits. The method will be provided alongside the certificates.
Registered participants will be contacted at the beginning of March to confirm their participation.
Why Attend?
- Meet Anne L'Huillier, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics 2023: Learn about her career path and the world of atoms at the attosecond time scale. Her research, both theoretical and experimental, is centered on high-order harmonic generation in gases and its applications, particularly in attosecond science. On Monday evening, March 23, you can also attend her other lecture she will give on the academic field as part of the “Exceptional Lectures” series at University Grenoble Alpes.
- Hear Authentic Career Stories: Our guest speakers will present a variety of perspectives on career opportunities in research and business, covering topics ranging from the latest research advances to specific industrial applications.
What’s In It for You?
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers who share your passion for photonics while building connections that could lead to future opportunities. All speakers will be available during lunch time and coffee breaks for informal discussions and questions.
- Career Exploration: Gain insights into various career paths in photonics and related fields, helping you align your skills with industry needs.
- Understanding Employer Expectations: Learn about the expectations of potential employers through dedicated presentation and interactive roundtable discussion.
- Certificate of Attendance: Upon completion of the event, you will receive an official attendance certificate.
Symposium Highlights
SYMPOSIUM
- 8:45-9:00 — Welcome coffee
- 9:00-9:15 — Introduction
- 9:15-9:45 — The tumultuous adventures of a DFB laser integrated on glass: from an undergraduate student's silly dream to a start-up product
by Jean-Emmanuel BROQUIN (CROMA, Grenoble INP, France) - 9:50-10:20 — Detecting each single photon: ultrafast and photon-number resolving SNSPDs in action
by Thomas PRODUIT (ID Quantique, Switzerland) - 10:20-10:50 — Coffee Break
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10:50-12:15 — Roundtable
Building a career in photonics: feedback from industry professionals
Moderated by Melany KORAL SOTO CARRION & Bianca GARCIA(Saint-Etienne University, France)
· Frederic BOEUF (STMicroelectronics, France)
· Ludovic LAURENT (mirSense, France)
· Quentin BERTHOME (Teem Photonics, France)
· Davit HAKOBYAN (MERCK, France)
· Laurent RUBALDO (LYNRED, France) - 12:15-14:00 — Lunch
- 14:00-15:00 — The world of atoms at the attosecond time scale
by Anne L’HUILLIER (Nobel Prize in Physics 2023, Lund University, Sweden) - 15:00-15:30 — Coffee Break
- 15:30-16:00 — From solid-state quantum emitters to photonic quantum computers
by Sébastien BOISSIER (Quandela, France) - 16:00-16:30 — Most common job titles in photonics for the last 6 months
Online by Elisenda LARA (EPIC, Spain) - 16:30-17:00 — Photonics as a Key Enabling Technology: How Light Addresses Global Challenges
by Jérémy PICOT-CLÉMENTE (EPIC, France) - 17:00 — Closing
Professor, Centre for Radiofrequencies, Optic and Micro-nanoelectronics in the Alps, CROMA, Grenoble INP, France
Head of Industrial Partnerships and Value Creation
Title: The tumultuous adventures of a DFB laser integrated on glass: from an undergraduate student's silly dream to a start-up product
More information soon.
Application Scientist, ID Quantique, Genève, Switzerland
Title: Detecting each single photon: ultrafast and photon-number resolving SNSPDs in action
Thomas Produit is a Swiss physicist and Application Scientist at ID Quantique, specializing in advanced single‑photon detection technologies, including SNSPDs and SPADs. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physics from ETH Zürich before completing a PhD at the Université de Genève, where he focused on the use of high power laser for atmospheric control. He later carried out postdoctoral research at Q.InC, A*STAR in Singapore, working with SU(1,1) nonlinear interferometry and its applications. At ID Quantique, his work centers on bridging cutting‑edge research and real‑world implementation, developing and optimizing photonic solutions for scientific, industrial, and quantum‑technology applications.
Nobel Prize in Physics 2023, Professor, Lund University, Sweden
Title: The world of atoms at the attosecond time scale
Anne L'Huillier is a Swedish/French researcher in attosecond science. During the first part of her career, she worked at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, in Saclay, France, first as a PhD student until 1986, then as a permanent researcher. In 1995, she moved to Lund University in Sweden and became a full professor in 1997. Her research, both theoretical and experimental, is centered on high-order harmonic generation in gases and its applications, particularly in attosecond science. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 together with Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”.
Single-photon source R&D Director, QUANDELA, Massy, France
Title: From solid-state quantum emitters to photonic quantum computers
Sébastien Boissier is a physicist specializing in the science and engineering of quantum emitters. He earned his PhD from Imperial College London in 2019, where he focused on coupling quantum emitters to integrated photonic structures. Since joining Quandela in 2020, he has led efforts to optimize and industrialize the production of quantum light sources. He currently heads the technological division of R&D, driving the development of high-performance sources to enable scalable photonic quantum computing.
MarCom Manager and Talent Attraction Lead for Photonics, EPIC – European Photonics Industry Consortium, Spain
Title: Most common job titles in photonics for the last 6 months
Read the article on which this presentation is based
Photonics Technology Manager, EPIC – European Photonics Industry Consortium
Title: Photonics as a Key Enabling Technology: How Light Addresses Global Challenges
An overview of the photonics industry and its applications, covering market trends, technologies, and future developments.
Frederic BOEUF
Technical Director Photonics Innovations and R&D Fellow at STMicroelectronics, Crolles, France
Process Integration and Device expert in the field of advanced CMOS devices and silicon photonics. Ph.D in Physics and engineering degree from INPG, he is currently Silicon Photonics Technology Architect and in charge of the Advanced Si-Photonics team within the Technology and Design Platform unit of STMicroelectronics. He provides studies on advanced options, delivers early device & platform evaluation and technology roadmaps to the management team of ST. He is a "Fellow of Technical Staff". He is also direct industrial director for 20+ PhD thesis within ST and in collaboration with various French universities and author and co-author of 350+ publications (h-index 42).
Ludovic LAURENT
Gas Sensor Product Manager, mirSense, Saint Martin d’Hères, France
Ludovic Laurent holds a PhD in Applied Physics, obtained between 2014 and 2017 at CEA-LETI, where his research focused on resonant micro-bolometers. From 2017 to 2023, he worked at mirSense on the development of photoacoustic sensors based on quantum cascade lasers. Since 2023, he has been serving as Product Manager for sensor technologies at mirSense, overseeing the transition from advanced sensing concepts to industrialized products.
Quentin BERTHOME
R&D Engineer, Teem Photonics, Meylan, France
In 2017, he graduated from engineering school Phelma with Physics & Nanosciences – Optics & Microelectronics specialization. He did his graduating internship at Teem Photonics, working on the development of a 280 nm laser. Then, he continued with Teem Photonics for his PhD thesis on laser and nonlinear optics to reach mid-wave and long-wave infrared. Since the end of his PhD thesis in 2021, he has worked at Teem Photonics as an R&D Engineer in the laser team, and he is in charge of the developments for funded research programs with academic partners. As part of this, he tests new technologies to increase Teem Photonics’ portfolio for further research and development. Currently, his main research focuses on the design and development of laser sources for atmospheric pollution detection.
Davit HAKOBYAN
Lead Optical Scientist in Optronics - Metrology & Inspection, MERCK, Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, France
R&D optical physicist and expert in optical metrology and inspection for semiconductor manufacturing. He leads research and innovation in optical inspection and metrology, combining light–matter interaction analysis, optical system concepts, and physics-based performance evaluation. Over the years, he has contributed to the assessment of emerging optical approaches and to the definition of long-term technology roadmaps within industrial R&D environments. In his current role at Merck, he supports strategic technology decisions by delivering feasibility studies, early-stage evaluations, and rigorous technical analyses addressing future inspection and manufacturing challenges.
Laurent RUBALDO
Expert Senior, LYNRED, Veurey-Voroize, France
Laurent received his PhD in Physics from the University of Grenoble Alpes and joined STMicroelectronics in 2001 to develop sub-micron CMOS technology. He then became technical leader of advanced SiGeC heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) processes. He joined LYNRED (formerly the Sofradir Group) as a semiconductor expert in 2007. LYNRED is a European leader in the development and production of high-quality cooled and uncooled infrared detectors for aerospace, defence, and commercial applications. Since 2017, he has held the position of Senior Scientist specialising in semiconductor and optoelectronic technologies for infrared detection. He is involved in academic and research partner networks and has been the coordinator of the DEFIR joint laboratory with CEA-Leti and vice-director of the DECID joint laboratory with CROMA-CNRS since 2021. He is the author of seven patents and over one hundred scientific articles. He has supervised eight doctoral theses, and in 2019 he obtained his habilitation as a research director at the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA).
Saint-Etienne University, France
Erasmus Mundus Scholar with 4 years of experience as R&D engineer in photometric and imaging systems. Co-inventor of two patent applications, has collaborated on international technical projects for clients including BMW and General Motors. Currently specializing in Biometrics and Intelligent Vision at University Jean Monnet.
Saint-Etienne University, France
Bianca Garcia is a physicist and former Process Engineer at Texas Instruments. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics with honors, from the University of the Philippines Baguio. During her industry tenure, she optimized manufacturing operations and spearheaded strategic cost-reduction initiatives. Her technical leadership improved equipment productivity and stabilized device yield without compromising quality standards. Currently, she combines this practical expertise with advanced research through studying at an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree specializing in Condensed Matter Photonics.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
TRAINING
- 8:45–9:00 — Welcome coffee
- 9:00–9:10 — Introduction
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9:10–10:00 — Nonlinear parametric optics
Tutorial by Antoine GODARD (ONERA, France) -
10:05–10:55 — Wavefront shaping in complex scattering media: from light focusing to information extraction
Tutorial by Dorian BOUCHET (LiPHY, France) -
11:00–11:50 — Entanglement, Bell Inequalities and more: an introduction to the power of quantum correlations
Tutorial by V. Vilasini (UGA, France) - 12:00–14:00 — Lunch
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14:00–17:30 — Training
Training session 1
Optical parametric generation and oscillation as tunable sources
by Benoit BOULANGER, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)Training session 2
Violation of Bell inequalities
Generation of entangled photon pairs by spontaneous down conversion
by Patricia SEGONDS, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
by David FERRAND, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)Training session 3
Telecom fibered components for optical metrology
by Thierry CHANELIÈRE, CNRS Researcher
Scientific Director of Physics Domain
ONERA, Palaiseau, France
SFO President
Title: Nonlinear parametric optics
Antoine Godard received the Engineering degree from Institut d’Optique Graduate School, Orsay, France, in 1998, and the PhD degree in 2003 and the Habilitation (HDR) in 2016, both from Université Paris-Saclay. He joined ONERA, the French national aerospace research centre, as a research scientist in 2003. His research involves laser applications and nonlinear optics with a special interest in optical parametric oscillators and their applications to atmospheric sensing. His interests also cover more basic research topics with the investigation of photon correlations by two-photon absorption in semiconductors. He has authored over 65 articles in peer-reviewed international journal and over 220 communications at international conferences (34 invited) and hold two patents. He has been involved in various research projects and studies for the European commission, the French and European space (CNES and ESA) and defence (DGA and EDA) agencies, the French National Research Agency (ANR) as well as direct contracts with industry. Since 2022, Dr. Antoine Godard has been the Scientific Director of Physics Domain of ONERA. As which, he has been in charge of the guidance of the research activities of three research departments (530 persons in total): Electromagnetism and radar; Optics and associated techniques; Physics, instrumentation, environment, and space. Antoine Godard is also the president of the French Optical Society (SFO, 2026-2027) and has been elected OPTICA Fellow 2026.
CNRS Researcher
Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (LiPHY)
Grenoble, France
Title: Wavefront shaping in complex scattering media: from light focusing to information extraction
He did his PhD at Institut Langevin (ESPCI Paris, France), during which I studied light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. He then worked on waves in complex media as a post-doc, first at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science (Utrecht University, the Netherlands), and then at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Physics in Grenoble (Université Grenoble Alpes, France). He is now working in this lab as a researcher employed by the CNRS, studying the propagation of both light waves and acoustic waves in complex media. He has always enjoyed tackling challenges in physics as an experimentalist but also through numerical and theoretical approaches.
Permanent Research Scientist
University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Grenoble, France
Title: Entanglement, Bell Inequalities and more: an introduction to the power of quantum correlations
V. Vilasini completed her BSc in Physics at the University of Delhi, India, followed by a Masters in Physics at ETH Zürich, Switzerland and completed a PhD in Mathematics at the University of York, UK in 2021 where she worked on quantum information theory and quantum foundations, focusing on correlations, causation and agency in quantum and beyond-quantum theories. She then held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Quantum Information Theory group at ETH Zürich before joining the Inria centre at the University of Grenoble Alpes as a permanent research scientist (CRCN) in the QINFO team, since May 2024.
In her research, she enjoys tackling foundational questions at the interface of quantum and relativistic physics, using rigorous mathematical tools from quantum information theory, causal modeling and relativistic physics. This includes a study of non-classicality in quantum correlations, non-standard causal structures and Wigner’s friend scenarios where reasoning agents are modeled as quantum systems. She also has a keen interest for investigating the interplay between such fundamental non-classical phenomena and their applications to relativistic quantum tasks, including quantum cryptography protocols between agents distributed in space and time.
Apart from research, she is a guitarist with a passion for composing music, often inspired by physical and natural phenomena.
Afternoon Training Session
3 training sessions in NÉEL Institut experimental rooms.
1 hour per training session.
Participants must attend the 3 training sessions.
SCHEDULE
1 hour per training session: 14:00-15:00; 15:00-16:00; 16:30-17:30
Coffee break: 16:00–16:30
RULES
The 3 training sessions are related to each tutorial.
Attendance at the three tutorials in the morning is mandatory to join the training sessions.
Maximum 8 participants per training.
Registration online for maximum 24 participants.
Waiting list available once capacity is reached.
Optical parametric generation and oscillation as tunable sources
by Benoit BOULANGER, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Building F, ground floor, room C3-101
Benoit BOULANGER was researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) from 1989 to 2000 at the University of Nancy, Stanford University, and the University of Bourgogne. In 2000, he joined Grenoble-Alpes University as Professor. He does his research at Institut Néel CNRS. His work is at the frontiers between nonlinear crystal optics, quantum optics and material engineering. He is teaching Laser Physics, Nonlinear Optics, Crystallography & Tensors, and he also regularly gives tutorials on crystal parametric nonlinear optics in international conferences and summer schools.
Generation of entangled photon pairs by spontaneous down conversion
by Patricia SEGONDS, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Building D, second floor, room D321
Patricia Segonds is a Full Professor in the Department of Physics at the University Grenoble Alpes (UGA). She joined the Institut Néel upon its creation. Since 2000, her research has focused on optics and frequency conversion in nonlinear crystals, including their characterization and implementation in optical parametric oscillators.
She has co-authored more than 230 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She teaches practical courses in linear and nonlinear optics and has recorded numerous educational tutorials covering various areas of physics.
by David FERRAND, Professor, University Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Building D, second floor, room D321
David Ferrand is Professor at Université Grenoble-Alpes, member of the Nanophysics and Semiconductors (NPSC) CEA-CNRS-UGA joint group at Institut Néel, CNRS. Coordinator of the Quantum thematic program of UGA graduate school, Co-director of the European School on Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (ESONN, UGA).
Telecom fibered components for optical metrology
by Thierry CHANELIÈRE, CNRS Researcher
Building F, first floor, room F115
Thierry Chanelière has been a CNRS researcher at the Néel Institute since 2018. Prior to that, he began his career in Orsay by developing the use of rare earth ion-doped crystals for optical information processing. He specialises in the study of these materials for quantum technologies, particularly in the design and implementation of quantum storage protocols. He received the Société Française de Physique's Aimé Cotton Prize in 2014.
Meet Anne L'Huillier, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics 2023
Monday, March 23, 2026
18:30 Anne L'Huillier
Conférence d'exception de l'Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
Amphithéâtre Louis Weil
Campus Universitaire
Saint-Martin-d'Hères
As part of the "Exceptional Conferences: Getting to Know Us" series, the University of Grenoble Alpes welcomes Anne L'Huillier, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics 2023, for a conference dedicated to the rise of attosecond science, from the first ultrafast light sources to their applications for understanding matter.
For more information and registration (Online & Onsite) click here.
Download the 360 Carla Career Symposium in Photonics Flyer
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Download the 360 Carla Training in Photonics Flyer
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Location
Institut Néel CNRS/UGA UPR2940
25 avenue des Martyrs BP 166
38042 Grenoble cedex 9
France
Organizers
This two-day CARLA-camp event organised at Institut NÉEL of Grenoble is part of the Horizon Europe 360 CARLA project, which brings together the European Optical Society (EOS), the French Physical Society (SFP), the French Optical Society (SFO), the University Grenoble Alpes (UGA), and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) to promote the role and recognition of early-stage researchers in photonics.
Organizing Team
- Patricia Segonds, Pr. University Grenoble Alpes, Institut NÉEL, EOS Past President
- David Ferrand, Pr. University Grenoble Alpes, Institut NÉEL
- Nathalie Destouches, Pr. Université Jean Monnet Saint-Etienne, Member of EOS Board of Directors
- Elina Koistinen, EOS Executive Director
- Boglárka Selényi, EOS Communications and Events Assistant
- Florence Fernandez, NÉEL communication
Sponsored by
About 360 Carla
360 CARLA is a competitive EU-awarded project that seeks to bring the initial program created by the successful CARLA project to the next level by focusing on photonics market applications and providing underlying training, mentorship, and experiences opportunities and thus helping students and researchers being readier for future photonics.
360 CARLA is aiming at university students and early-stage researchers from photonics and non-photonics focused areas. Students and researchers from diverse STEM backgrounds are welcome to participate in the 360 CARLA activities, get to know more about the professional opportunities that the photonics careers landscape offers for the different applications, and get updated about the latest developments.
EOS and Photonics Finland joined the CARLA consortium in 2024 to be part of 360CARLA. Duration of the project: 30 months – January 2024-June 2026
360 Carla Partners
The CARLA consortium brought together leading photonics organizations with vast experience in the organization of outreach activities directed to different audiences. Each consortium partner had specific contributions to the project in reaching together its objectives.
CARLA was an initiative by ECOP, a long-standing partnership of European research and innovation centres passionate about outreach in photonics.
This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101135838.