Teledyne helps build new generation of atomic clocks

As a member of the European Quantum Technologies Flagship, Teledyne e2v will collaborate with a team of science and industry experts on the iqClock project to commercialize high-precision atomic clocks. This is one of the first of 20 projects being funded by the European Commission.

According to Teledyne e2v, clocks are a critical component of modern society, especially in scientific and engineering applications where precision time measurement is vital. Teledyne e2v’s role in this project is to build the atomics package including the vacuum and control system. Teledyne e2v’s Quantum Group, which is comprised of more than 30 scientists and engineers, will be taking on the project.

The iqClock consortium is made up of both academic and industrial partners who share the same goal of bringing optical clocks closer to the market. Teledyne e2v’s partners include Chronos and British Telecom in the United Kingdom, Toptica in Germany, NKT Photonics in Denmark and Acktar in Israel. Its academic partners include the University of Amsterdam, University of Birmingham, Nicholas Copernicus University Torun, University of Copenhagen, TU Wien (Vienna) and Innsbruck University.

“Optical atomic clocks are the most precise time-telling tools known to man,” said Ole Kock, technical authority for Quantum Technologies at Teledyne e2v. “The challenge is their size and complexity that restricts them to laboratory use. Now, by using superradient laser technology we can help bring optical atomic clocks into the everyday world.”

According to Teledyne e2v, project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 820404.