UV/Visible Alpha-Barium Borate Acousto-Optic Modulators for Atomic Interferometry Applications

Research team at Brimrose Technology Corporation is proposing to systematically develop a novel high-speed and high efficiency acousto-optic modulators (AOM) using -BBO single crystals, with no moving parts, where the technology is appropriate for Atomic Quantum Sensing applications, with specifications and capabilities well beyond that of any other current material or devices. Acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) allow rapid, inertia-free focusing and scanning of an optical beam. Dynamic spatial control of atoms using acousto-optics or spatial light modulators has been of interest recent year. Quantum computing involves arrays of trapped atoms or ions or molecules that require optical addressing in order to program initial states, implement single qubit manipulations, or perform entangling 2-qubit gates. However, optical addressing is technologically challenging since the transition energy from the ground state is deep into the UV for most common atoms such as Rb, K, Cs, Yb, and Sr, and most optical beam manipulation devices are not transparent in the UV requiring the development of a new generation of efficient and high-performance UV modulators and deflectors. Currently available acousto-optic modulator materials such as TeO2, LiNbO3, GaP, and PbMO3 are not transparent into deep UV region. Although a few UV devices are commercially made using fused silica, KH2PO4 (KDP) and NH4H2PO4 (ADP), these devices exhibit low diffraction efficiencies due to low AO figures of merit in the material. alpha-BBO has the greatest potential of combining the best properties of all existing materials into a single crystal. With regard to the AOM development, our overall commercialization strategy will be to use the Phase II funding to develop a prototype product and then use retained earnings to develop this product to the point where it is ready to be introduced into the market.