Low-SWaP Tools for Quantum 2.0: Fieldable Frequency Combs and Their Extension to the Visible Spectrum

The ability to make exquisitely precise measurements of macroscopic phenomenon based on the quantum nature of the system under study is often only possible through the system’s interaction with photons.  This light must be precisely controlled to enable, for instance, the most accurate measurements of the passage of time, the observation of the smallest changes in the local gravity field, and a new generation of high-resolution, high-speed fieldable spectrometers that can help safeguard our environment.  As Moore’s Law falters with semiconductor-based computers, “precision photons” will usher in quantum computers and their solutions to previously unassailable problems in fields as diverse as drug discovery and transportation logistics.  Adjacent to quantum computing is the critical field of quantum cryptography.  The race to crack RSA encryption will be won by a team with fine control over their light sources.

The frequency comb is a unique tool for imposing the requisite stability on laser light across the optical spectrum to address these applications.   But until recently, the frequency comb was an unwieldy, power-hungry laboratory-bound device that required tables awash in a sea of lasers, optics, & photonic accessories.  Vescent has introduced low-SWaP, rugged frequency combs to the market which can help bring Quantum 2.0 applications out of the lab and into the field.  This application space is as complex and varied as yesterday’s frequency combs.  We are addressing the need for stability at wavelengths from the UV to the MIR through frequency conversion techniques.  I will introduce the Vescent frequency comb offerings and discuss the directions where we are going to expand our repertoire to meet the needs of a diverse nascent market space.

Scott Davis, CEO, Vescent Photonics

Dr. Davis is a physicist entrepreneur with a demonstrated track record of transitioning new technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.  He has focused his career on inventing, developing, and commercializing a wide variety of technologies.  Many of these technologies and products such as compact laser systems for trapping and cooling atoms, compact and deployable frequency combs, and miniature spectroscopic standards are tools aimed at furthering the development and deployment of quantum-based systems.  He has over 30 refereed papers, has co-authored two book chapters, and has twenty-seven patents or patents pending. 

Dr. Davis received his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the University of Colorado, working at JILA in Boulder, CO and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.  He co-founded Vescent Photonics in 2002 and after a four-year sabbatical at Analog Devices returned to Vescent as CEO in 2020.