Abstract:In the emerging field of Optogenetics, nerve cells are made sensitive to light, to allow selective stimulation of nerve pulses by light pulses. This technology is used as tool in fundamental neuroscience to explore the mechanisms active in the brain, and to new medical devices which may allow deaf people to hear or blind people to see. In an interdisciplinary approach we develop a new class of optical probes (»optrodes«) by direct integration of tiny light-emitting diodes with edge lengths of a few ten micrometers (μLED) with micro-engineered probes. The actual device is small enough to fit into the cochlea (the innear ear) of a rodent.  This device will be able to stimulate nerve cells in the cochlea in order to generate a hearing sensation excited by light pulses, potentially with a much higher frequency resolution than conventional CIs. In this development, we employ our experience with high power LEDs, now standard in solid-state-lighting, with experience in fabrication of neuro-sensors based on an integration of metal lines with flexible polymers. In particular the thin-film LED is the key enabling technology for the miniaturization of the optical probes.Bio:Ulrich T. Schwarz received his Ph. D. degree and habilitation in physical science from the University of Regensburg, Germany, in 1997 and 2004, respectively. Since 2009 he is full professor (W2) at the Institute for Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at Freiburg University. At the same time he is group leader at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) in Freiburg. His research is in the field of optoelectronic devices based on group-III-nitrides, i.e. light emitting diodes and laser diodes in the violet to green spectral region. Another focus is on singular optics, in particular polarization singularities. Awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation with a Feodor Lynen scholarship he spent two postdoctorial years (1997–1999) at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, with research on intrinsically localized modes. In 2001 he joined the group of Prof. R. Grober at Yale University, New Haven, CT. In 2006/2007, he visited Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, with an invited fellowship (long-term) awarded by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. He is senior member of the Optical Society of America (OSA), and member of the American Physical Society (APS), the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), and the German Physical Society (DPG).