Nichols Martin
ColdQuanta has received a five-year subcontract to help Vescent develop portable atomic clocks for the Office of Naval Research.
The company said Tuesday it will provide a physics package as a subcontractor to Vescent, which ONR awarded a $15.6 million contract for the Compact Rubidium Optical Clock program.
The physics package consists of development inputs from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Atomic Devices and Instrumentation Group.
CROC will demonstrate a two-photon optical clock transition in rubidium atoms, with the goal of achieving boosted performance and stability. The subcontractor will work with partners to design and develop atomic clocks that meet technology readiness level six requirements and come in a form in reduced size, weight and power dimensions.
The CROC program began in November 2021 and will continue through 2026 over a three-phase period. The first phase will focus on demonstrating technology elements and achieving TRL six.
The second phase will integrate individual components into clock prototypes and lastly, the third phase will produce 10 finalized prototypes for evaluation under ONR.
