Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20230928011
- Term of Validity
- 29 September 2023 - 28 September 2025
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Investment agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- Squeezed light is a specific quantum state. Its properties can be exploited in various applications. It enables precise optical sensing beyond the shot noise limit, optical quantum computing and quantum key distribution for cryptography. Based on Commercial agreements with technical assistance, the University spin-off offers squeeze lasers and supplementary devices that enable customers to work efficiently with squeezed light (e.g. homodyne detectors) and customised hardware.
- Full Description
-
Squeezed light is a unique type of light used in technologies like quantum sensing and quantum computing.
Measurements in optical sensing are often limited by shot noise. One can experience a similar situation while listening to music in an aeroplane: The joy of listening to music is disturbed by the noise of the turbines, not all the nuances of a song can be heard. The signal-to-noise ratio is not sufficient.
Of course, the volume can be turned up to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Equivalently, the laser power can be increased in an optical measurement. This requires additional effort and leads to new problems and technical limits: It's expensive, potentially damaging to delicate equipment, and can require complex safety measures.
This is why for many applications and testing environments, noise reduction is needed. With the innovative laser technology offered by the company, noise reduction of up to a factor of 10 can be achieved. This results in an improved signal-to-noise ratio without the need for increasing the laser power. It is comparable to using noise cancelling headphones: You keep the pleasant volume while reducing unwanted noise.
Just as squeezed light is the resource to enhance optical sensing, it is required for some optical quantum computing protocols and constitutes a resource to realise this quantum technology.
Based on more than twenty years of research, the spin-off of the university of Hamburg, developed a portable laser to produce squeezed light with excellent optical characteristics. The product is market ready and is already trusted by major research institutions in the field of quantum optics. The company offers hardware, software to control the system, as well as installation and advisory services. The hardware to produce squeezed light has been developed and optimised as a modular system that fits well on an optical laboratory table (approximately 60 x 40 cm).
The squeeze laser has a well-defined spatial TEM00 mode. That allows for easy integration into optical setups and experiments.
The squeeze laser includes a touchscreen to control the system intuitively or switch between different modes of operation, e.g. the alignment mode that emits a bright beam that is visible on a viewer card and the squeezing mode, in which the light is too faint to be seen. The interface also provides options to fine-tune operational settings (e.g. temperature of laser crystals).
In addition, the company offers Homodyne detectors, which are generally advantageous for advanced sensing applications and can be used both together with the laser hardware and independently from it. - Advantages and Innovations
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Squeezed light enables technologies of the second quantum revolution, that prepares, processes and measures quantum states, often based on quantum effects such as superposition and entanglement. There are several areas that benefit from squeezed light, e.g. optical sensing, quantum computing and cryptography:
1. Optical Sensing Technology
Squeezed light can be used for detailed and accurate measurements or to increase the speed of a measurement compared to existing technologies on the market. Industrial use cases in sensing include for example:
a. Interferometry and Laser-Doppler vibrometry,
A very advanced example application is gravitational wave detection. It is used for non-contact measurement of vibration and velocity, making it suitable for applications like structural health monitoring and quality control in manufacturing processes.
b. Surface Plasmonic Resonance (SPR)
SPR devices are widely used for real-time detection of biomolecular interactions, helping researchers study binding events between proteins, DNA and other molecules. This is relevant in drug development, medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
c. Semiconductor manufacturing
The ability to perform precise measurements is crucial for semiconductor manufacturing. Squeezed light can enhance methods beyond the current state-of-the art.
d. Absolute Calibration of Photo Sensors:
The Quantum efficiency of a photodiode is typically determined by establishing a standard. With squeezed light, the quantum efficiency can be determined by performing a relative measurement that does not require establishing a standard.
2. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing requires so-called qubits to perform calculations. Squeezed ligth can be used to produce qubits. The company offers a reliable light source for photonic quantum computing.
3. Cryptography
Furthermore, squeezed light can be used as a basis to create entangled quantum states for quantum key distribution. - Technical Specification or Expertise Sought
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The company is offering commercial agreements with technical assistance to universities, research institutions and corporate research departments that want to develop new applications and are seeking expert’s advice to setup the enabling technology.
Depending on the clients’ needs, cooperation includes installation, customisation, integration into the specific research and development setting and general advisory. - Stage of Development
- Already on the market
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- IPR status
- IPR granted
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
-
Target clients include R&D departments and institutes that want to develop quantum sensors, quantum computers or cryptography systems, by using squeezed light as an enabling resource.
The company is looking for research institutes, universities or corporate research departments in interferometry, laser-doppler-vibrometry, semiconductor manufacturing technology, microscopy, surface plasmonic resonance technology and laser-based sensing with an interest in developing quantum applications that use squeezed light as enabling technology.
Clients and research partners ideally have a promising case that might also have the potential to be commercialised in the future.
The company is offering intense advisory to train application partners. Nevertheless, basic experience with laser technology and the related laboratory work is required.
Interested partners should provide a suitable laboratory for research and development.
The system must be installed at the partner’s site by the supplier.
In most cases, to prepare the light source for and implement it in the respective use case, technical introduction and advisory by the supplier is necessary. - Type and Size of Partner
- University
- Other
- SME 11-49
- SME <=10
- R&D Institution
- Big company
- SME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Investment agreement
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 005006003 - Laser Technology
- 001001014 - Quantum Informatics
- Market keywords
- 02007006 - Other system software
- 03005 - Laser Related
- Sector Groups Involved
- Construction
- Aerospace and Defence
- Electronics
- Digital
- Energy-Intensive Industries
- Mobility - Transport - Automotive
- Health
- Targeted countries
- All countries
