Cold Atom Source System

ColdQuanta's goal is to deliver a Cold Atom Source System (CASS), the critical core of next generation quantum-enabled technologies. Nearly all cold atom sources employ same few building blocks: an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber with sufficient optical access for laser cooling, a laser system to deliver the appropriate light to the package, a set of optics for beam steering and shaping, and a set of magnetic field generating elements. To target a platform which can enable the largest spectrum of applications, ColdQuanta’s strategy is to develop a full requirements-based understanding of a device with performance that meets or exceeds the anticipated requirements of the most challenging application. To enable to widest possible existing and future applications, CASS will deliver a cold atom population to the user in excess of 5E8 atoms with a loading rate exceeding 1E9 atoms/s with a temperature below 50 microKelvin. ColdQuanta will make use of the SWaP advantages of our ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) Channel Cell technology in CASS. Channel Cells utilizes a silicon-and-glass construction and allows direct integration of precision optical components, as well as all necessary UHV system components, such as a miniature ion pump. By fabricating the system from glass and silicon we can shrink the size of the vacuum system from several liters to only a few tens of cubic centimeters, while maintaining a nanoTorr vacuum. Furthermore, the monolithic construction provides a high-performance package that is sufficiently robust for demanding environments. The other critical enabling low SWaP technology is the HAL laser delivered by Vescent Photonics, which produces widely tunable light (up to 10 GHz) with a fractional frequency instability of <1E-11 in 1 second. This laser module (w/ electronics) has a volume < 500 cubic cm and consumes 15 W power. The CASS will produce MOTs with lifetimes of more than 100 s in a 10L rack mountable system while drawing below 30 W of power.

NASA has stated 2018 strategic goals at JPL and the Langley Research Center in advanced senor systems that will be enabled by the CASS platform. Ames Research Center strategic goal in quantum computing can also leverage CASS technology. In addition, NASA’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL) flight mission currently deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) is powered by ColdQuanta’s previous generation cold atom source system. The CASS will enable extension of CAL’s scientific and educational mission to low SWaP missions on lower cost platforms.

CASS is a platform technology that can support a variety of applications including precision timekeeping, inertial navigation, secure communications, and quantum computing. Our lead customer for CASS is Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC), with other primary system integrators showing interest in CASS. Position, navigation, and timing applications from the US DoD drive this interest.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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