Photonic Integrated Circuits for Atomic SenSor Optimization - PICASSO

Atom-based quantum sensors yielding measurements of accelerations and rotations can provide the sensitivity and accuracy required for even the highest performance inertial navigation applications. However, the complexity of the required optical systems dominates the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of instruments, exceeding a practical limit for use in portable applications and thus requiring new strategies for SWaP reduction. To help address this challenge, Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) will develop an integrated photonic platform to provide orders of magnitude SWaP reduction while meeting the strict optical frequency, phase, and power requirements for atom accelerometer instruments. To produce the highest efficiency system, PSI’s Photonic Integrated Circuits for Atomic SenSor Optimization (PICASSO) platform will combine the outstanding electro-optically active properties of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) with wafer-scale fabrication methods to realize a compact, pure, and efficient frequency shifter while operating in the native visible and near infrared wavelengths of the relevant atomic transitions (e.g., rubidium and cesium).