Compact Optical Cavities for Quantum Photonics and Integrated Timing Solutions (COCQPITS)

Vescent Technologies, Inc. (Vescent) proposes to develop a fully integrated compact, low-power, environmentally robust ultra-narrow linewidth (UNL) laser, based on a novel cavity architecture demonstrated by the Precision Photonic Synthesis group at NIST (NIST-PPS) and validated during the Phase I effort. Compared to incumbent UNL laser technology based on bulky reference cavities held under active high vacuum, this solution will reduce size by ~1/30, weight by ~1/6, and electrical power by ~1/10, and demonstrate a low-risk, rapid-development pathway to future space deployment. The resulting compact clock laser is a critical component in optical atomic clocks and would enable future NASA missions such as FOCOS and MAGIS, which seek to put optical lattice clocks in space for gravitational wave detection and searches for new physics. This novel UNL technology is based on a vacuum-bonded, compact optical reference cavity, which operates without the usual high vacuum enclosure of traditional ultra-low expansion cavities. This technology has been demonstrated to perform with a fractional instability of 2E-14. The Phase II effort will implement design changes made in the Phase I effort to push performance to the 6E-15 level and integrate the cavity into a rigid mount with low acceleration sensitivity. This Phase II effort will evaluate the performance of an UNL laser based on these designs. By the end of the period of performance, we will deliver a complete rugged laser system, exhibiting instability <1E-14, operating at a clock wavelength, with all components (includes laser, control electronics, opto-mechanics, and cavity) occupying 1.6 L of volume.