Singular Light

Singular Light was a project funded by the Knowledge Transfer office at CERN from 2019-2021. The technology is protected under European and PCT patent applications:

The technology in a nutshell

Single longitudinal mode or single frequency lasers are necessary in many areas of optical metrology and interferometry, including quantum computing, LIDAR, high-resolution spectroscopy, data storage, and optical communications. Unfortunately, conventional lasers cannot be used directly for these applications due to their spectrally broad output. This project aims to bridge that gap by developing an efficient, simple and agile multi-mode to single mode converter, bringing unprecedented capabilities to the laser industry.

Integrated diamond lasers

Gallery of recent developments

Knowledge Transfer @ CERN documents:

Spotlight on lasers for quantum computing applications

While the idea of using quantum mechanics principles such as superposition and entanglement to perform computations is at least several decades old, it’s only within the past few years that the technology to implement practical quantum computers became available. High-purity, low-noise laser sources are among the key enabling technologies for emerging quantum computing architectures. Advanced laser systems will play a pivotal role as quantum hardware disrupts the field of computer science.

The interest in building laser systems suitable for quantum computation is tied to the inherent benefits of quantum computing itself. Just as bits are the fundamental building blocks of modern digital computers, two-level systems called qubits form the foundation of quantum computers. A qubit can exist in coherent superposition of two binary states (zero and one), so it can be used to perform certain calculations much more rapidly than conventional computers.

Specific and hard-to-reach wavelengths are key to the quantum computing market. We provide a laser solution covering most of the visible spectrum, including Barium, Strontium, Calcium, K, etc transition wavelengths. When picking a laser for atom cooling, it is important to ensure accurate wavelength control. To fine-tune the system, the absolute wavelength must be well-defined and adjustable – and it must not fluctuate, and this is what our system can do best with the minimal number of components and at a low cost.