Activities Time-Frequency:
Workforce: 4with: 4 permanents, 0 non-permanent
TALENCE, France
MUQUANS is a high technology company, specialized in high precision measurements. It proposes several innovative products, based on a unique and patented technology, relying on the use of laser cooling/trapping/manipulation of neutral atoms.Our current product portfolio includes:
- Development of a atomic clock based on laser cooled atoms, that generates an ultra high performance time and frequency reference, with a short term stability close to 3e-13 at 1 s an a long term stability close to 1e-15
- Development of optical repeater stations for the transfer of optical frequencies along optical links, and deployment of these equipment over a telecom network.
- Development of laser & optical solutions dedicated to atom cooling, trapping and quantum manipulation
Muquans is a spin-off of two academic laboratories :
- LP2N, UMR 5298 CNRS ? Institut d'Optique ? Université de Bordeaux
- SYRTE, UMR 8630 CNRS ? Observatoire de Paris ? UPMC ? LNE
Expertise :
- Oscillators
- RF and microwave oscillators and synthesis
- Microwave technologies• Agile frequency synthesizers, with ultra low phase noise
- Optical oscillators, lasers
- Lasers locked to an atomic or molecular line• Laser locked on atomic or molecular transitions (rubidium Rb, potassium K, iodine I2) through saturated absorption spectroscopy.
- Laser sources• High power laser sources between 1530 and 1600 nm, and 765-800 nm
- RF and microwave oscillators and synthesis
- Atomic references
- Micro-wave clocks and subsystems
- Cold atoms• Development of a high performance atomic clock based on laser cooled rubidium Rb atoms
- Micro-wave clocks and subsystems
- Synchronisation, frequency transfer and time scales
- Fibred optical links
- Data transfer on a fibre network• Regeneration and extraction stations for optical frequency transfer along optical fibers
Deployment and supervision of these equipements on a telecom network
- Data transfer on a fibre network• Regeneration and extraction stations for optical frequency transfer along optical fibers
- Fibred optical links
- Specific methods of time-frequency metrology
- Noise
- Phase noise, PLL• RF and optical domainVery low phase noise
Spectral agility - Intensity noise• OPtical domain (RIN, long term stability)
- Short term stability, long term stability• Variances (Allan, Adev) Stability of microwave oscillators and stabilized lasers
Stability of atomic clocks
Stability of frequency transfer optical links
Stability of gravity measurements
- Phase noise, PLL• RF and optical domainVery low phase noise
- Systematics, Accuracy, Calibration
- Systematics in atom-light interaction• Light shifts
Zeeman shifts
Rabi Pulling
Cavity pulling
Black body radiation
- Systematics in atom-light interaction• Light shifts
- High resolution spetroscopy
- Atomic spectroscopy• Saturated absorption spectroscopy of atomic vapors (Rubidium Rb, Cesium Cs)
- Noise
- Techniques for time-frequency metrology and applications
- Electronics
- Analog electronics• Low noise laser drivers
Low noise fast PLL
High conversion efficiency power electronics
Dynamic control of magnetic fields
Low nosie photodetection - Digital electronics• Real time data processing
Real time sequencer with multiple inputs and outputs - Acquisition, interfaces, converters• Low noise and high frequency Analog do digital conversion
- Analog electronics• Low noise laser drivers
- Mechanics, Ultra-high vacuum, Cryogenics• Design of ultra-high vacuum chambers (P < 10^-9 mbar) for manipulation of cold atoms
- Optics
- Guided optics, specific optical fibres• Fibered laser systems in the 1530-1600 nm and 765-800 nm wavelength range
Fibered micro-optical benches - High sensitivity, low noise photodetectors• Shot noise photodetection
- Control of the optical beam characteristics• Beam quality measurements
- Guided optics, specific optical fibres• Fibered laser systems in the 1530-1600 nm and 765-800 nm wavelength range
- Cooling or trapping techniques
- Cooling, trapping of atoms• Atom laser cooling and trapping
- Interferometry techniques
- Atom interferometry techniques• Matter wave interferometers for inertial measurements
Time & frequency measurements with interrogation of laser cooled atom rubidium Rb atomic sample - Optical interferometry techniques• Characterization of the phase stability of optical links with optical interferometry
- Atom interferometry techniques• Matter wave interferometers for inertial measurements
- Sensors
- Atomic inertial sensors• Development of matter-wave gravimeter and gravity gradiometer
- Electronics
Connected Sectors:
- Fundamental science
- Tests of fundamental physics• Test of the equivalence principle
- Astronomy, astrophysics (radioastronomy, VLBI, gravitational waves sensors)• Contribution to the MIGA project
- Positioning and navigation
- Satellite positioning, GNSS• Primary time and frequency references for GNSS
- Inertial navigation• Matter wave inertial sensors