ALTITUDE: Advanced Low-cost TI:sapphire Lasers for Quantum Technologies

The emergence of nascent quantum technologies has been closely tied to the development of enabling laser sources. With commercial quantum technology applications on the horizon, the challenges in laser development move toward realising low-cost sources with a small footprint coupled with the ruggedness and modularity required from a critical component in practical quantum technology instruments. This project will fuse the partners' expertise in laser engineering (M2 and Durham), component optimisation (M2) and applications (Durham).

The aim is to achieve highly-tunable compact Ti:sapphire laser system at a significantly reduced cost, that disrupts the current market dominance of diode laser systems.

The lasers developed will be essential for QT devices and therefore enable a diverse range of benefits.
Economic: In addition to M2's economic short and mid-term benefits outlined previously, the project will support the establishment of an entirely new industry over the next 1.5 decades with major economic benefits both up- and down-stream. To calibrate these economic benefits we compare the expected QT market with the £15bn photonics market in Germany that employs ~104,000 people. Considering the QT market potential of £1bn one can interpolate employment increase of ~10,000 globally. Comparing the UK GDP to the global GDP as a reference, this could lead to ~1,500 UK jobs. M2 fully expects new positions for 7 scientists, 2 engineers and 1 technician within 5 years of project end. Other spill-off benefits can be found in a myriad of sectors, e.g. improved extraction and prospecting in the O&G industry and securing the long term EEA GDP associated with navigation.
Social: There are a number of social benefits that interferometers will enable over the next decades. Gravimeters can detect water table monitoring and prevent flooding. In 2012, flood damage cost the UK £4bn (BBC). Inland flooding causes an average of 133 deaths and $4bn in property losses p.a. in the U.S. (National Weather Service). Natural disasters (glacier, volcano & tsunamis) can be predicted via highly accurate seismic mapping. These areas are amongst the earliest benefits to be realised with an expected time scale of 5-10 years. Other social benefits align with archaeology and the maintenance of cultural heritage where a step-change in geophysics capabilities will revolutionise discovery processes. Lastly, 10-20 years from now, QT will make it into the classrooms and lecture theatre, educating future scientists and engineers.
Environmental: There will be groundbreaking advances in earth observation, particularly in the measurement of water distribution, where monitoring of the water table can be crucial in parts of the world where water shortages are prevalent or where unregulated private bore-holes affect the local water table. The impact of natural disasters can be mitigated through improved monitoring of flood alerts and also seismic activity for geological movement and earthquake, volcano and tsunami predictions. In 2011, the Tohoku earthquake resulted in 20,000 deaths and massive economic losses. Estimated cost for the clean up operation in Fukusima Daiici is expected to exceed $250bn.