Industry
Ones to Watch Report Series
The Ones to Watch series features select early-stage photonics businesses whose story singles them out as exciting, innovative and worthy of note. Optica corporate members, less than 5 years old, were interviewed to examine the organizations’ key technologies, funding overview, market opportunities, product roadmap and 5-year forecast. The reports also feature insight on why the company is worth watching and why the innovation sets this company apart. The case-study format of each profile invites you to consider parallels to be drawn by comparing your own circumstances. We hope the series stimulates ideas and generates discussion.
Interested in participating in our Ones to Watch series? Contact industry@optica.org or +1.202.416.1474.
Aliro Quantum
A software platform for managing quantum networks. The platform delivers what the company calls quantum entanglement as a service (EaaS) which is the distribution of entangled quantum states between network nodes. Aliro’s software control plane and simulation technology provides a foundation for enabling and managing EaaS on quantum networks, interfacing with an increasing range of quantum optical devices at the physical layer. EaaS is a key technology for enabling secure, un-hackable networks as well as distributed quantum computing, and quantum sensor networks.
CudoForm
CudoForm manufactures ultra-high precision metal components for use in optical sub-assemblies and end products. It utilizes a patent protected novel stamping technology to accomplish this. The components include feature-rich metallic benches with tight tolerances for aligning eight-channel fiber arrays, and providing optical pathway designers of closely spaced and packed source and optics packaging an alternative to reliance on fragile glass and heat or high optical power intolerant injection molded polymer optics.
Enlightra
Optical microresonators can improve the performance of lasers in terms of the purity of the color. The technology also allows the creation of optical frequency combs, which can quickly and accurately produce many exact frequencies of light. Optical frequency combs are recognized for their capabilities in applications such as telecommunications, data center interconnects, low noise microwave generation for advanced radar sources and even next generation atomic clocks.
Envisics
Envisics’ goal is to redefine the way people interact with the world around them using holography. Holographic augmented reality (AR) head-up displays (HUDs) can overlay distraction-free driving information within the driver’s field of view, eliminating the need to take their eyes off of the
road. Envisics is working to constantly improve every area of the AR-HUD product and experience. From reducing package sizes to more power-efficient operating systems, Envisics is
advancing the science of AR-HUD, including research that will lead to holograms being generated on multiple planes, and at multiple distances, with resolution and clarity designed to be
six times greater than that of the human retina.
GenXComm
GenXComm is developing light-enabled technologies that are designed to facilitate faster, smaller, and more energy efficient radio network components. The company is replacing conventional microelectronics with photonics processors to enable intelligent high-speed adaptive private
mobile networks that eliminate self-interference in a small form factor. Its goal is to provide networking-as-a-service for industrial manufacturing and Industry 4.0 applications.
HyperLight Corporation
HyperLight Corporation designs and produces ultrahigh performance and cost-effective electro-optic photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on thin-film lithium niobate technology. The company’s PIC solutions allow power-efficient and ultrahigh bandwidth electro-optic conversion for data center and telecom applications. The ultralow loss PICs with exceptional electro- and nonlinear optic functionalities are enabling millimeter wave, sensing and quantum computing applications.
ICON Photonics
Advanced Photonics integrated packaging solutions, enabling the next generation of optical connectivity for optical communications and quantum computing. ICON has developed an integrated packaging platform that combines different functionalities via the integration of photonics,
electronics and mechanics using scalable wafer-level microfabrication techniques. A key core technology could be a breakthrough on-wafer polymer microoptics technology, ideal to create fiber coupling and attaching custom solutions as well as high-speed electrical interconnects
Menhir Photonics
Ultra-robust and ultrafast picosecond and femtosecond lasers and related photonics solutions: Menhir Photonics has developed femtosecond laser systems with ultra-low phase noise at repetition rates up to 2.5 GHz. The company’s lasers are used in applications such as synchronization electronics, microwave generation and telecommunications. Menhir Photonics aims to bridge the gap between electronic and photonic.
Neurescence
Neurescence is a biotechnology company which has created and commercialized Quartet - a miniature microscope for simultaneous, multi-region functional imaging of neuronal circuits.
NUBURU
NUBURU develops blue laser technology. It has produced a high-power laser, consisting of gallium nitride semiconductor laser diodes, which operate in the blue wavelength, coupled to an optical fibre. This can be used in applications from energy storage to automotive electric vehicles to consumer electronics module manufacturing within smartphones, laptops, and desktops and ultimately even 3D printing.
QuiX
Integrated photonics for optical quantum computing: The company develops plug-and-play integrated and reconfigurable light-based quantum processors, based on silicon nitride waveguides, with the goal to ultimately produce a quantum computer that operates at room temperatures. This could make the technology more viable by reducing the cost associated with dilution refrigerators.
Voyant Photonics
Chip-scale LiDar 3D sensing technology: Using silicon photonics technology, Voyant has created a solid-state LiDAR on-a-chip system with the capabilities of larger systems. This minimization will allow chip-scale LiDARs to be built into robotic fingers, drones, smartphones, AR glasses and more, opening up new applications and revenue possibilities.
