Quantum & Photonics

New quantum navigation device uses atoms to measure acceleration in 3D

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:23:13 +0000

New quantum navigation device uses atoms to measure acceleration in 3D Daniel Corbin … Wed, 06/11/2025 - 14:23

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This article was published at colorado.edu/today

In a new study, physicists at the �鶹ԭ�� have used a cloud of atoms chilled down to incredibly cold temperatures to simultaneously measure acceleration in three dimensions—a feat that many scientists didn’t think was possible.

The device, a new type of atom “interferometer,” could one day help people navigate submarines, spacecraft, cars and other vehicles more precisely.

“Traditional atom interferometers can only measure acceleration in a single dimension, but we live within a three-dimensional world,” said Kendall Mehling, a co-author of the new study and a graduate student in the Department of Physics at �鶹ԭ��. “To know where I'm going, and to know where I’ve been, I need to track my acceleration in all three dimensions.”

The researchers published their paper, titled “Vector atom accelerometry in an optical lattice,” this month in the journal Science Advances. The team included Mehling; Catie LeDesma, a postdoctoral researcher in physics; and Murray Holland, professor of physics and fellow of JILA, a joint research institute between �鶹ԭ�� and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

In 2023, NASA awarded the �鶹ԭ�� researchers a $5.5 million grant through the agency’s Quantum Pathways Institute to continue developing the sensor technology.

The new device is a marvel of engineering: Holland and his colleagues employ six lasers as thin as a human hair to pin a cloud of tens of thousands of rubidium atoms in place. Then, with help from artificial intelligence, they manipulate those lasers in complex patterns—allowing the team to measure the behavior of the atoms as they react to small accelerations, like pressing the gas pedal down in your car.

Today, most vehicles track acceleration using GPS and traditional, or “classical,” electronic devices known as accelerometers. The team’s quantum device has a long way to go before it can compete with these tools. But the researchers see a lot of promise for navigation technology based on atoms.

“If you leave a classical sensor out in different environments for years, it will age and decay,” Mehling said. “The springs in your clock will change and warp. Atoms don’t age.”

�鶹ԭ�� Today—In a new study, physicists at the �鶹ԭ�� have used a cloud of atoms chilled down to incredibly cold temperatures to simultaneously measure acceleration in three dimensions—a feat that many scientists didn’t think was possible. The device, a new type of atom “interferometer,” could one day help people navigate submarines, spacecraft, cars and other vehicles more precisely.

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Infleqtion Selected to Power the UK’s Largest Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 20:27:34 +0000

Infleqtion Selected to Power the UK’s Largest Quantum Computing Breakthrough Daniel Corbin … Mon, 06/09/2025 - 14:27

This article was originally published at businesswire.com.

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Infleqtion’s star continues to rise as Colorado’s quantum hub grows. The company of firsts, spun out of �鶹ԭ�� as ColdQuanta, seems to be everywhere these days, including outer space, while commercializing pioneering research to address needs across several critical markets.

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Venture Partners has helped faculty and researchers from the University of Colorado build over 220 new ventures based on technology and innovation from �鶹ԭ��, UCCS and CU Denver.

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Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum information technologies, today announced a second grant from the UK government to further accelerate the performance of its neutral atom quantum computing platform, Sqale. The project aims to increase gate execution rate by 10–100x, a major advance in the scalability and capability of quantum hardware, critical for making quantum systems commercially viable.

The initiative builds upon Infleqtion’s strategic presence at the NQCC in Harwell, Oxfordshire, home to one of the UK’s most advanced quantum testbeds. Infleqtion’s Sqale neutral atom quantum computer positions the company as a cornerstone of the UK’s national quantum infrastructure.

“Infleqtion’s UK team is pushing the limits of what’s possible in quantum computing performance,” said Tom Noel, VP of Quantum Computing at Infleqtion. “By combining the unique strengths of neutral atom technology with advanced optical control and characterisation frameworks at the NQCC, we are enabling faster, deeper, and more reliable quantum circuits.”

BusinessWire—Infleqtion, a �鶹ԭ�� spinout and global leader in quantum information technologies, announced a second grant from the UK government to further accelerate the performance of its neutral atom quantum computing platform, Sqale. The project aims to increase gate execution rate by 10–100x, a major advance in the scalability and capability of quantum hardware, critical for making quantum systems commercially viable.

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The internal hardware of Infleqtion's neutral atom quantum computing platform. Photo: Infleqtion, 2025.

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University of Colorado ranks among Top 20 U.S. universities for granted patents

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 08 May 2025 17:11:40 +0000

University of Colorado ranks among Top 20 U.S. universities for granted patents Daniel Corbin … Thu, 05/08/2025 - 11:11

CU Connections—The University of Colorado has secured the No. 18 position on the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2024 Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents list, reinforcing CU’s standing as a national leader in research, innovation and real-world impact. At �鶹ԭ��, 53% of the campus’s patents have been licensed commercially.

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Two �鶹ԭ�� scientists win prestigious honor

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 20:36:26 +0000

Two �鶹ԭ�� scientists win prestigious honor Daniel Corbin … Thu, 03/27/2025 - 14:36

�鶹ԭ�� College of Arts & Sciences—Ivan Smalyukh, professor of physics, and Thomas Blumenthal, professor emeritus of molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB), are among the 471 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements by the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

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New quantum incubator in Boulder to propel innovations for real-world impact

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:43:06 +0000

New quantum incubator in Boulder to propel innovations for real-world impact Daniel Corbin … Wed, 01/15/2025 - 14:43

�鶹ԭ�� Today—To kick off the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in 2025, three Colorado universities, in collaboration with Elevate Quantum, have announced that a new facility for fostering quantum technologies is coming to Boulder, Colorado.

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Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 13:06:32 +0000

Venture Partners annual report highlights a record year for innovation Daniel Corbin … Thu, 01/09/2025 - 06:06

FY 2023-24 was another tremendous year for innovation and entrepreneurship at the CU. University researchers, inventors and creators began working with Venture Partners at �鶹ԭ�� to advance 144 breakthrough innovations, and 36 CU startups were launched through Venture Partners based on campus discoveries.

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Rising Startup Stars: Sristy Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Mesa Quantum

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:46:44 +0000

Rising Startup Stars: Sristy Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Mesa Quantum Daniel Corbin … Mon, 12/23/2024 - 11:46

ColoradoBiz—Agrawal, 29, moved from India to Colorado to study quantum computation at CU in 2019. “Boulder, in general, has the most thriving quantum ecosystem in the world,” she says. The overwhelming focus on quantum computing, however, paved the way for Agrawal to co-found �鶹ԭ�� Startup Mesa Quantum with Wale Lawal in early 2024.

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Building a safer and more affordable nuclear clock

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:43:12 +0000

Building a safer and more affordable nuclear clock Daniel Corbin … Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:43

EurekAlert!—Reported recently in a new study published in Nature, a team of researchers, led by JILA and NIST Fellow and �鶹ԭ�� Physics professor Jun Ye, in collaboration with Professor Eric Hudson’s team at UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, have found a way to make nuclear clocks a thousand times less radioactive and more cost-effective, thanks to a method creating thin films of thorium tetrafluoride.

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New project aims to advance secure communications through quantum technology

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:34:16 +0000

New project aims to advance secure communications through quantum technology Daniel Corbin … Wed, 12/18/2024 - 12:34

�鶹ԭ�� Today—The U.S. National Science Foundation has named �鶹ԭ�� a collaborator on newly announced pilot projects supported by the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) initiative. This groundbreaking effort seeks to accelerate the development of quantum technologies and make cutting-edge quantum tools accessible to researchers nationwide. To do this, the NSF has funded 11 pilot projects (with six announced Dec. 16) to overcome the current engineering challenges facing the development of quantum devices.

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AI ambition is pushing copper to its breaking point

Daniel Corbin Leonard — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 17:43:20 +0000

AI ambition is pushing copper to its breaking point Daniel Corbin … Thu, 11/28/2024 - 10:43

The Register—Ayar Labs, a �鶹ԭ�� spinout, contends silicon photonics will be key to scaling beyond the rack and taming the heat of increasing AI model demands. Many photonics startups are looking to overcome the limitations of copper interconnects and improve the efficiency of optical I/O, but Ayar is among the first.

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