ColdQuanta Awarded U.S. Government Contracts Totaling $2.55M
ColdQuanta Projects will advance technology used for secure global navigation, quantum timekeeping, and communications
ColdQuanta, the leader in Cold Atom Quantum Technology, has been awarded two development contracts from U.S. Government agencies worth $2.55M in total. Both projects are based on the company’s Quantum Core™ technology that uses atoms cooled to a temperature of nearly absolute zero, and lasers to manipulate and control the atoms with extreme precision.
Quantum Atomic Clock
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD (R&E)) awarded ColdQuanta $1.8M for the development of a prototype atomic clock that could enable reliable, highly accurate, position, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities, necessary for the functioning of critical infrastructure around the world. Atomic clocks are used for GPS/GNSS systems, as well as for time distribution services that are the basis of financial networks, computer, TV, and radio services, and other applications we depend on today.
However, services such as satellite-based GPS can be spoofed, lack encryption or other security features, and often can’t deliver the signal strength required. Because of this, the development and deployment of a PNT system that doesn’t depend on GPS is a critical need across governments and industry. This is especially true for mobile systems such as aircraft and spacecraft that need to know their position with great precision even when GPS is unavailable.
Under this project, ColdQuanta will deliver a state-of-the-art atomic clock with “instant on” capability if a GPS signal is lost, with a timing accuracy comparable to the best commercial clocks. It will also be ruggedized, portable, and compact to enable its use in aircraft, and will minimize the power draw in between periods of demand.
“High-performance atomic clocks are the backbone of the Internet, electrical power grids, financial networks, and autonomous navigation. Combining this with ColdQuanta’s development of related inertial navigation devices such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, and gravimeters, will lead to the first Quantum Positioning Systems,” said Dan Caruso, executive chairman and CEO of ColdQuanta. “We’re excited to work closely with the Department of Defense to meet their urgent needs, while also advancing the capabilities needed for future, unassailable global positioning technology.”
Miniaturized Ion Trap System
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded ColdQuanta $750K for the development of a high-performance miniature ion trap system. Compact ion trap systems are applicable to a spectrum of quantum applications including quantum networks, computing, metrology, and timekeeping.
ColdQuanta previously developed a prototype miniaturized ion trapping system with performance that is competitive with traditional, large-footprint vacuum systems. The system maximizes performance and robustness while minimizing size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP). The new AFRL award will build on the success of this prototype to increase performance, reduce cost, and create a robust architecture for deployable quantum platforms.
About ColdQuanta
About ColdQuanta
ColdQuanta is the leader in Cold Atom Quantum Technology, the most scalable, versatile, and commercially viable area of quantum. ColdQuanta is dedicated to making quantum a reality through the development of a cloud-based Quantum Computer and precision Sensing and Networking solutions. Backed by years of research and development, the story of ColdQuanta began in 1924 with the discovery of the Bose Einstein Condensate (BEC) – also known as the 5th form of matter – and 70 years later brought to fruition when it was first synthesized at the University of Colorado at Boulder in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). ColdQuanta was spawned by this BEC breakthrough. Today, ColdQuanta is collaborating with its global customers, which include major commercial and defense companies; the U.S. Department of Defense; national labs operated by the Department of Energy, NASA, and NIST; major universities; and quantum-focused tech companies, to advance products and services development with Cold Atom Quantum Technology. ColdQuanta is based in Boulder, CO with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Oxford, UK. Find out more at www.coldquanta.com.
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