Vexlum and Menlo Systems collaborate to develop optical clocks through specific photon sources

Advanced semiconductor laser system manufacturer Vexlum and precision photon technology supplier Menlo Systems have announced a partnership to jointly develop an easy-to-use, modular photon source to drive technological advancements in ultra precision optical atomic clocks. This collaboration aims to address the challenges faced by large-scale construction and operation of optical atomic clocks. Vexlum and Menlo Systems plan to develop a more convenient, reliable, and cost-effective system to simplify the construction process of optical atomic clocks.

The collaboration is part of the “VEQTOR” project, funded by EUROSTARS, a program supporting the advancement of quantum technology within Europe.

Vexlum's laser technology will be combined with Menlo Systems' metrology equipment to enable the rapid assembly of optical clocks. 

Specifically, the companies will develop a standardized light source that fulfills the extreme requirements demanded by the most precise clocks to date, ultimately allowing research institutions and companies to easily build optical atomic clocks. By integrating a dedicated laser platform built by Vexlum, Menlo Systems addresses the challenge of sourcing the many different laser colors needed to cool, trap, initialize, and measure the neutral strontium-87 (Sr) atoms used in the most advanced atomic clocks.  

“This level of integration means scientists can now skip the tedious, months-long effort of stabilizing and calibrating independent laser systems and jump straight to their experiments, accelerating discovery and the path to commercial applications,” said Riina Hietikko, Project Manager at Vexlum.

Both Vexlum and Menlo Systems are core partners in major EU-funded initiatives, including the Horizon Innovation Action project AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Applications). These projects, which involve Finnish and German industrial and research institutions, are explicitly focused on strengthening the supply chain for robust, transportable optical clock components and accelerating the technology's deployment from the laboratory into commercial and real-world environments.

Source: photonics