Sandia National Laboratories and Arizona State University, two leading research institutions, are working together to advance quantum technology by shrinking large optical systems into compact integrated microsystems.

Nils Otterstrom, a physicist at Sandia who specializes in integrated photonics, is leading efforts to miniaturize these optical systems. This breakthrough promises enhanced performance and scalability, with applications ranging from advanced computing to secure communications.

“Integrated photonics takes optical systems that are macroscale and makes them microscale,” said Otterstrom, who earned his doctorate in applied physics from Yale and joined Sandia as a Harry S. Truman fellowship recipient. “What we do in integrated photonics is develop novel devices and explore device physics to provide all the functionalities that we need to do fundamental research and create next-generation quantum microsystems. The world-class fabrication capabilities and high degree of customizability we have here at Sandia in the Microsystems Engineering, Sciences and Applications complex, or MESA, uniquely position us to impact the most cutting-edge science and technology.”

To read more, a href="/Sandi%20National%20Laboratories%20and%20Arizona%20State%20University,%20two%20leading%20research%20institutions,%20are%20working%20together%20to%20advance%20quantum%20technology%20by%20shrinking%20large%20optical%20systems%20into%20compact%20integrated%20microsystems.%20%20Nils%20Otterstrom,%20a%20physicist%20at%20Sandia%20who%20specializes%20in%20integrated%20photonics,%20is%20leading%20efforts%20to%20miniaturize%20these%20optical%20systems.%20This%20breakthrough%20promises%20enhanced%20performance%20and%20scalability,%20with%20applications%20ranging%20from%20advanced%20computing%20to%20secure%20communications.%20%20“Integrated%20photonics%20takes%20optical%20systems%20that%20are%20macroscale%20and%20makes%20them%20microscale,”%20said%20Otterstrom,%20who%20earned%20his%20doctorate%20in%20applied%20physics%20from%20Yale%20and%20joined%20Sandia%20as%20a%20Harry%20S.%20Truman%20fellowship%20recipient.%20“What%20we%20do%20in%20integrated%20photonics%20is%20develop%20novel%20devices%20and%20explore%20device%20physics%20to%20provide%20all%20the%20functionalities%20that%20we%20need%20to%20do%20fundamental%20research%20and%20create%20next-generation%20quantum%20microsystems.%20The%20world-class%20fabrication%20capabilities%20and%20high%20degree%20of%20customizability%20we%20have%20here%20at%20Sandia%20in%20the%20Microsystems%20Engineering,%20Sciences%20and%20Applications%20complex,%20or%20MESA,%20uniquely%20position%20us%20to%20impact%20the%20most%20cutting-edge%20science%20and%20technology.”" target"><stron">click "ere.