ColdQuanta Atomic Clocks

Nextbigfuture interviewed Max Perez of ColdQuanta. Max Perez is the Vice President of Research and Security Solutions at ColdQuanta.

ColdQuanta’s cold atom method is a transformational foundational technology platform:

ColdQuanta creates ultra-high vacuum cells that are injected with atoms
Using laser cooling, ColdQuanta cools the atoms to near absolute zero
The system is kept at room temperature while only the atoms remain ultracold, allowing devices to be deployed in rugged environments
Lasers are also used to hold atoms in place and control their quantum states
The key difference among the various end applications of ColdQuanta’s technology is primarily the arrangement of the atoms

They uses lasers to hold atoms in lattices or arrays. For quantum computers, they hold them 3 microns apart. They can hold thousands of atoms. They can use the lasers to reduce the vibrations of the atoms which brings their temperature to absolute zero even though the entire system is at room temperature.

They can create bose einstein condensate on demand.

They are creating new microwave atomic clock and optical clocks. They have three microwave atomic clock programs with different form factors. They are reducing the size (volume) and startup times. The different clocks use different atoms with different frequencies.

The optical clocks will leverage smaller frequency combs to get to 100 times higher accuracy than the main commercial atomic clocks. The main commercial clocks are fridge-sized and cost about $80000.

The Coldquanta clocks have far faster startup. They can be nearly instant startup versus a day or more for commercial atomic clocks to start.

There is the traditional atomic clock market and then there are new markets if a smaller but still highly accurate clock could be made.

Precise time can be used to determine precise position. This is why GPS is based upon atomic clocks. The Military wants portable atomic clocks when the GPS signals are blocked. Every missile and precision munition and military vehicle would need unblockable GPS.

Google uses atomic clocks for the Spanner database. Better atomic clocks could improve the scaling of databases and Google services to enable 100X more database operations per second. Multiple clocks would be needed for every data center.

The technology that ColdQuanta perfects with lasers and atom control and miniturization are needed for all of the other applications. Coldquanta will perfect foundational capabilities and generate significant revenue in this commercial space to open up a far larger universe of atom based technologies. Atomtronics, QuantumRF, error corrected quantum computers with millions or trillions of qubits and much more become possible.

How could ColdQuanta success effect your everyday life? You can get faster communications (higher speed broadband, nextbigfuture will discuss QuantumRF next article), millimeter accurate GPS, hundreds of times higher database transactions and then atomtronics could replace electronics in certain situations. Also, there clearly will be many currently unknown benefits for getting greater and greater control of atoms and light and decreasing the form factors for devices with that control.

SOURCES- Coldquanta, Nextbigfuture Interview of Max Perez of Coldquanta
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.

Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.

A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts.  He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.