GoPhotonics interviewed Sanjay Adhav, the Senior V.P. of Technology at Quantum Technology Inc. Sanjay Adhav graduated from the University of Toronto in 1978 with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, staying on for an extra year to conduct research in control systems. He began his career in Florida, spending four years at Harris Corporation working on electro-optics, fiber optics, and acousto-optics, where he contributed to a specialized optical telephone project for U.S. Army labs.

He then joined his father’s company, Quantum Technology, where he added electronic capabilities to crystal growth and Pockels cell assembly, and helped integrate a major electro-optic product line acquired from Coherent Associates. As Director of Engineering, Sanjay helped scale the business organically to serve a global market, managing a 15-person team to build turnkey laser modulation systems, Pockels cells, and high-voltage drivers. Today, Sanjay Adhav continues to run Quantum Technology with a focus on high-performance optical solutions, now under the umbrella of Fonon Quantum Technologies, Inc.

Q. Could you provide an overview of Quantum Technology Inc. and its core focus in electro optics and laser components?

Sanjay Adhav: Quantum was established in 1969 in Canada. We first grew our patented crystal, DCDA, then other optical nonlinear crystals, for harmonic generation and other electro-optic devices. All the crystals that we developed were about 50% efficiency. At the time, there was nothing else in the marketplace that could make an infrared laser green. One of our crystals even flew on a space shuttle because they wanted to grow in a zero-G environment for better purity.

In 1979, we moved to Orlando, Florida, and expanded beyond the nonlinear optics. We began offering a larger assortment of EO Pockels cells, EO Q-switches, EO modulation systems and EO modulators using crystals that we grew. We also made electronic drivers to switch Pockels cell voltages from hundreds of volts to thousands of volts using different types of driver technologies. We developed comprehensive, turnkey systems that covered everything from raw crystals to finished devices and drivers, streamlining offerings around the core functions our customers needed.

In 2025, Quantum was acquired by Fonon, and some restructuring took place. Our focus has shifted away from nonlinear optics, except for applications for which customers would like a specifically designed function. Our primary focus today is on electro-optical systems using Pockels cells, low voltage modulators, and other devices for Q-switching or modulating laser beams for pulse pickers and similar applications.

Q. Quantum Technology emphasizes in house crystal growth and component design. How does this vertical integration improve performance and reliability?

Sanjay Adhav: Since we have discontinued in-house crystal growth, we no longer have total vertical integration; we source specialized crystals and materials from the global marketplace. Using our proprietary procedures, we make sure that the materials selected meet the performance we require.

Q. The portfolio includes Q switches, pulse pickers, electro optical modulators, and high voltage drivers. How are these components optimized to work together in advanced laser systems?

Sanjay Adhav: We make Q-switches and we also couple together our high-voltage drivers that are tailored to do intracavity high-speed and fast rise time pulse amplifiers, as in a regenerative amplifier for a laser, or just Q-switching at high rep rates for multi-kilohertz to 100 kilohertz or even megahertz pulse picking or Q-switching.

Pulse pickers being extra-cavity or with different pulse picking schemes, we can do these case-by-case depending on the customer's requirements. It can be large aperture pulse pickers or, if they're very high rep rate, we could use electro-optic modulators to do the pulse picking with our high-voltage drivers and amplifiers.

Q. Pulse picking and Q switching are critical for ultrafast and high energy lasers. What key performance parameters are most important for customers in these applications?

Sanjay Adhav: Most pulse pickers are working at only one wavelength and only operate at a certain voltage, whereas EO modulators can be tailored to do pulse waveforms, not just switching on and off, but producing the waveform the customer needs for the type of modulation required. We have the expertise to tailor our high-voltage drivers and amplifiers to meet the customers’ needs. Generally, the systems will run from 100 kilohertz and up for Q-switches and pulse pickers, and electro-optic modulators can go up to 10, 25, and 50 megahertz and beyond.

We do have standard products, but the selection is driven by the customer’s application. For example, one need may be working in the visible wavelength and with the desire to do modulation or gain modulation of a laser or external modulation for polarization switching or spectroscopy applications. Generally, the extinction ratio or the on-to-off ratio is superior with most Pockels cells. They’re a single crystal or dual crystal, versus modulators which may have two or four crystals in series to get the voltage down to levels that the amplifiers can drive.

The key performance parameters would be the ability to have low or manageable dispersion for ultrafast lasers. For high-energy lasers, we tailor-make high damage threshold laser grade coatings for the crystals, windows, and optics in general, and tailor the crystal selection or material selection for the Pockels cell to be able to withstand the high energy or high peak power coming out of the laser. If it’s high average power, the parameters would be managing or staying under the thermal blooming that can happen in crystals when the power density is exceeded and the crystal deforms slightly in refractive index. We give the customer guidance and help in tailoring a solution that is more in line with the desired application and satisfies key performance parameters. If the goal is not met by one of our standard off-the-shelf systems, then we’ll work with a customer to develop a solution.

Q. Nonlinear optical crystals such as BBO, LBO, and KTP are widely used for frequency conversion. How is material selection determined for different wavelength and power requirements?

Sanjay Adhav: For Q-switches, materials traditionally have been DKDP, Lithium Niobate and the like, and Beta Barium Borate (BBO). Quantum Technology was the first to develop BBO as a Q-switch for high-power lasers, as demonstrated by our work in papers done by the University of Rochester and MIT.

We do not focus heavily on nonlinear optical crystals; however, we have the resources to use computer programs that aid in the selection of the materials, using our experience for looking at BBO, LBO, or KTP (Potassium Titanyl Phosphate) for getting the highest amount of power converted from the fundamental wavelength to the second or third harmonic. The material selection is determined by our experience based on in-house research. We have papers that we wrote during the growth of these crystals in the exploratory phase of the industry. Now these materials are sourced heavily by other countries, especially China and some European countries. Some materials like BBO and LBO are being grown strategically by companies such as Coherent Lasers for their in-house use. We used to supply crystals to Coherent and Spectra-Physics.

This is another area of potential growth. You might have a laser that is only of a single wavelength, but if you do something like an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), you can build a cavity with the correct mirrors, pump the laser into the crystal, tune the crystal, and get a whole broad spectrum of laser light that wasn't available to you. You can use it for sensing pollution or biopathogens. There are companies that already make OPOs as an expensive add-on to a laser.

Q. What are your plans for growth since joining Fonon?

Sanjay Adhav: It’s been a year since we joined Fonon Corporation; we’ve been getting caught up with ordering parts and boards for systems that were on the shelf to be upgraded. I’m looking forward to enhancing Quantum Tech’s products to meet market needs and achieve tighter specs for specialized applications. The systems we produced previously were not geared to superior precision required in defense; they are for research laboratories and the like. 

While our current focus remains on high-value specialized projects, we are actively evolving our operational systems to support long-term OEM partnerships. We are transitioning from proof-of-concept success toward a robust manufacturing framework capable of meeting the rigorous, high-volume production schedules required by major laser system integrators.

Q. Recent industry trends highlight increasing demand for compact, high speed, and high reliability components. What developments are being prioritized to address these needs?

Sanjay Adhav: For compact, high-speed, and high-reliability components, we are looking at different semiconductor materials now available, like silicon carbide and gallium nitride devices for high rep rate and high-power dissipation. We have had success incorporating some different semiconductor materials into our high-speed drivers for greater stability.

Q. Looking ahead, what developments are expected to shape the industry over the next five years?

Sanjay Adhav: For the next five years, electro-optics users will still be looking for materials that are high power handling and have high EO coefficients so you can drive them with very low voltage. 

Innovation derives from competition. The Chinese came up with BBO, and it is now the material of choice for Q-switching in YAG for high-powered lasers. Similarly, these crystals can be used for deep ultraviolet (DUV) light used in semiconductor manufacturing. These crystals act as frequency doublers, modifying and refining the laser beams so they are perfectly stable and narrow enough to etch circuits at the nanometer scale.

Previously, the U.S. treated crystal growth as a commercial niche, but today we have a realization that microchips are vital, and some funding is taking place to back the development of these materials to address the critical bottleneck in chip manufacturing.

About Quantum Technology Inc.

Since the founding in 1969, Quantum Technology Inc. been a trusted provider of electro-optical components, offering high-quality solutions to help realize the customer's projects. Whether exploring laser applications for manufacturing, research, or creative endeavors, their products, ranging from modulation systems to pulse pickers, Q-switches, and non-linear optics, are designed to help the user succeed. Since 1969, Quantum Tech has been serving high-tech innovators by providing advanced devices used in Q-switch lasers, frequency conversion, pulse shaping, and quantum communication. The journey originated in India, shifted to Canada, and settled in Lake Mary, Florida. As of 2025, Quantum Tech operates as a subsidiary of Fonon Quantum Technologies Inc. (FQTI).