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M Squared, a leading global quantum technology and photonics company, is pushing the boundaries of innovation by delivering cutting-edge products and services designed to cater to the scientific research and industrial needs. The company specializes in developing innovative solutions that include laser systems, photonics solutions, and quantum technologies. Founded in 2006, the company is based in the United Kingdom and has offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
M Squared has achieved several UK quantum firsts such as the first commercial quantum gravimeter and the first commercial quantum accelerometer. As a global leader in quantum sensors, timing and computing, M Squared is delivering a range of products and programmes from its dedicated quantum centre which includes:
- Quantum Sensors
- Quantum Timekeeping
- Quantum Computing
Quantum Sensors
Quantum Accelerometers
A 3D quantum accelerometer is a device that uses atom interferometry to precisely measure accelerations in any direction. Combining this with quantum gyroscopes and clocks will enable a navigation device that is highly accurate and completely independent of external communications, including satellites. M Squared has developed the UK’s first commercial 3D quantum accelerometer with collaborators at Imperial College London.
Quantum Gravimeters
Quantum gravimeters can be used to detect extremely small changes in the local gravity field. M Squared’s quantum gravimeter operates by firstly laser cooling a cloud of atoms close to absolute zero, before using a further set of laser beams to ‘split’ and ‘recombine’ the atom cloud, similar to an optical interferometer. As the cloud falls, the atom’s quantum states accumulate a phase difference due to gravity - which is interrogated and read out with a final set of laser pulses. Because of the sensitive nature of the quantum ‘splitting’ process, the lasers involved must have an extremely low phase noise and a well-defined frequency separation. The phase locked SolsTiS system was developed for this purpose, as well as other related applications.
In 2017, M Squared developed the UK’s first commercial gravimeter, since then work has focused on taking the technology out of the laboratory and into the field for real world applications – with trials on moving platforms being conducted in 2019. Now the company is working on developing the second generation gravimeter which will offer an increased sensitivity and enhanced repetition rate.
Quantum Timekeeping
Quantum Clocks
Using novel laser sources, control systems, and vacuum chambers, M Squared is developing a field deployable strontium lattice clock to extend the capabilities of lab-based clocks, enabling applications such as high-speed financial trading and satellite-free navigation. Progress in this project so far has seen a commercial first in the UK with the demonstration of cooling and trapping of strontium atoms at M Squared. The optical lattice itself is created by forming a standing wave of light from a low-noise and high-power laser – these requirements make M Squared’s SolsTiS platform the ‘lattice laser’ of choice for time standards laboratories around the world.
Quantum Computing
Rydberg Quantum Computing
M Squared is working with quantum scientists at the University of Strathclyde to develop a new platform for quantum computing based on scalable arrays of neutral atoms that is able to overcome the challenges of scaling faced in competing technologies. They are also developing new hardware to cool and trap arrays of over 100 qubits which will be used to perform both analogue and digital quantum computation by exploiting the strong long-range interactions of highly excited Rydberg atoms.
Trapped Ion Quantum Computing
Some of the world’s leading systems for quantum computing use qubits based on single atomic ions which are trapped using oscillating electric fields. With exceptionally low noise, spectral purity and high-power output, M Squared’s SolsTiS platform has enabled several landmark achievements with these trapped-ion qubits. In the future, M Squared’s laser technology will continue to play a key role in enabling accurate control over the large number of trapped-ion qubits that will be required for useful quantum computation.
With a strong pedigree in engineering and commercialisation of high-end quantum products, the company is developing neutral atom and ion-based quantum computers, inertial sensors for gravity, acceleration and rotation as well as quantum timing devices. Its portfolio also consists of complementary optical systems and electronics.
Their solutions are used by various industries, including healthcare, aerospace, defense, and academic research. M Squared has built a reputation for excellence in the industry, and its solutions have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. In recent years, M Squared has been at the forefront of quantum technology advancements. They have developed a range of innovative quantum technologies, including quantum sensors, quantum computing, and quantum communication. They have also partnered with leading institutions to conduct ground-breaking research in areas such as quantum cryptography and quantum imaging.
