Dual-FISH

Cold atom based quantum technologies have great potential because of the versatility of this platform. Cold atoms can be used in optical clocks, inertial sensors, gravimeters, and magnetometers just to name a few. They rely on stable and agile lasers with stringent requirements on their optical frequency. Current commercially available lasers are bulky, expensive and struggle to meet these requirements without significant development effort from the user. This limits many quantum technologies to the laboratory.

To address these challenges, the Dual-FISH project will develop a versatile, compact and easy-to-use laser solution for cold atom systems, particularly commercial atom clocks. In this project the consortium will produce a single device that provides both optical frequencies (the so-called "cooling" and "repump") required for the operation of cold atom traps in a single optical fibre. We will exploit mature, efficient 780 nm diode laser technology and combine advanced spectroscopy and offset locking schemes with mature packaging capability and compact, powerful bespoke electronics. This innovative approach will allow us to produce a complete laser system that is small (approximately 120x80x50 mm) and ready to use by system integrators intending to commercialise quantum technologies based on cold atom technology, while providing agile laser light without any need for third-party stabilisation hardware.