AXEL: Alexandrite Ring Cavity Lasers for Commercial Quantum Technology. TSB Application Number: 79958-520147

该项目的目标是开发超越最先进的高度稳定的激光源，其高性能加上成本效益和紧凑的尺寸增强了研究人员/技术人员对广泛的量子技术（QT）的访问，并为集成到未来的商业量子技术仪器提供了基础。二极管泵浦的翠绿宝石激光器技术将在一个商业平台上开发，该平台具有宽带和亚MHz超窄线宽控制的精确高度稳定的波长可调谐性，符合量子技术应用的要求。直接二极管泵浦振动固态紫翠宝石激光器的能力提供了作为当前主流钛蓝宝石激光器技术的显著更低成本、更紧凑的替代品的基础。由于采用直接二极管泵浦技术，紫翠宝石技术具有出色的功率扩展潜力，可扩展到多W和多个10 W的功率水平，可满足商业规模QT系统的未来需求。该项目汇集了商业合作伙伴M-Squared Lasers（MSL）和伦敦帝国理工学院（IC）的学术团队。IC学术团队是世界领先的二极管泵浦翠绿宝石激光器团队，拥有世界纪录的最高功率（> 26 W），最高效率和最宽调谐范围的演示，以及为欧洲航天局（ESA）的卫星激光雷达应用所做的首次Q开关和腔倾倒Q开关开发。MSL为创新的商业激光开发和屡获殊荣的激光产品带来了良好的记录。集成电路集团的科学和技术专长与MSL的工程、商业和市场知识技能相结合，为加速紫翠宝石激光技术从研究实验室向新规范和商业产品平台的转化提供了坚实的基础，以满足量子技术不断增长的需求。将设计一个具有波长调谐和窄线宽控制的紫翠宝石环形激光器（ARL）预原型系统，和显著的功率目标，导致第一个预原型ARL将在帝国建造和性能表征（里程碑1）。第二个预原型ARL系统将在MSL建造，作为QT应用的演示器（里程碑2），提供进一步的规范和操作性能优化。Imperial将修改第一个预原型，以证明和验证功率缩放的可行性（里程碑3）。MSL将把他们的预原型与QT应用程序结合起来，并向潜在用户进行演示（里程碑4）。将为紫翠宝石激光技术的发展及其商业化进行市场研究和技术路线图（里程碑5）该项目的成功结果将导致具有最高性能和低成本/紧凑格式的新的尖端激光技术，其将实现当前和未来的量子技术工艺和应用，包括冷却、原子钟和用于导航的陀螺仪;用于军事和地球观测的重力仪;保密通信等。

The objective of the project is to develop beyond state-of-the-art highly stabilised laser sources whose high performance coupled with cost-effectiveness and compact size enhances access of researchers/technologists into a broad range of Quantum Technologies (QTs) and provides the basis for integration into future commercial Quantum Technology instrumentation. Diode-pumped Alexandrite laser technology will be developed in a commercial platform with precision highly-stabilised wavelength tunablility over a broad band and sub-MHz ultra-narrowlinewidth control, as required for Quantum Technology applications. The ability to directly diode-pump the vibronic solid-state Alexandrite laser provides the basis as a significantly lower cost, more compact replacement to the current mainstream titanium-sapphire laser technology. Due to direct diode-pumping the Alexandrite technology has excellent power scaling potential to the multi-W and multi-ten-Watt power level addressing future demands in commercially-scaled QT systems.The project brings together commercial partner, M-Squared Lasers (MSL) and academic team at Imperial College London (IC). The IC academic team are the world-leading group in diode-pumped Alexandrite lasers, with world-record demonstrations of highest power (>26W), highest efficiency, and broadest tuning range, and notable first Q-switching and cavity-dumped Q-switching developments made for satellite-based lidar application for the European Space Agency (ESA). MSL bring a track record for innovative commercial laser development and award-winning laser products. The scientific and technical expertise of the IC group combined with the engineering, commercial and market knowledge skills of MSL provides a solid basis to accelerate the translation of Alexandrite laser technology from research laboratory to a new specification and commercial product platform to address the growing needs of Quantum Technologies.An Alexandrite Ring Laser (ARL) pre-prototype system will be designed with wavelength tuning and narrowlinewidth control, and significant power target, leading to a first pre-prototype ARL to be built and performance characterised at Imperial (Milestone 1). A second pre-prototype ARL system will be built at MSL to provide further performance optimisation of specification and operation as a demonstrator for QT applications (Milestone 2). Imperial will modify the first pre-prototype for demonstration and validation of feasibility of power scaling (Milestone 3). MSL will couple their pre-prototype to QT application with demonstration to potential users (Milestone 4). Market study and Technology Roadmap will be made for the development of the Alexandrite laser technology and its commercialisation (Milestone 5).The successful outcome of this project will lead to new cutting-edge laser technology with highest performance and low cost/compact format that will enable current and future Quantum Technology processes and applications including cooling, atomic clocks and gyroscopes for navigation; gravimeters for military and earth observation; secure communications etc.