LE BOURGET, France, October 21, 2022 – Next Group Gorges‘s acquisition of iXblue last month, ECA group and iXblue announced that both companies will operate under the same brand name Exail. The company will specialize in robotics, naval, navigation, aerospace and photonics technologies.
Hamamatsu, Japan — Hamamatsu photonics and Indica Labs — a provider of quantitative digital pathology and image management solutions — has formalized an agreement to maintain long-term interoperability between Indica Labs’ HALO AP software platform and Hamamatsu’s NanoZoomer family of high-speed, high-resolution scanners. As labs increasingly adopt digital solutions, the collaboration aims to streamline the process of integrating a range of hardware and software with maximum efficiency. Hamamatsu’s technical collaboration with Indica Labs will facilitate Indica Labs’ approach to regulatory approvals using the HALO AP system in conjunction with the NanoZoomer S360MD for primary diagnosis.
Rochester, New York — along with Hamamatsu photonics and Thorlabs Inc., Menlo systems will sponsor the Theodor W. Hänsch Prize for Quantum Optics established by the Optica Foundation. The award provides recognition and funding for Optica’s early career members as they pursue projects that have the potential to have a significant and positive impact in the fields of optics-based quantum technologies. Named after Menlo Systems co-founder and director at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Nobel Prize winner and Professor Theodor W. Hänsch, the award recognizes his pioneering contributions to quantum optics and precision metrology. The application process for the first prize begins on January 8, 2023 and ends on March 8, 2023.
To expand production capacity and office space, laser scanning solutions company SCANLAB will expand its facility in Puchheim, Germany. Courtesy of SCANLAB.
PUCHHEIM, Germany — SCANLAB Ltd expands its company building in Puchheim, Germany to support continued growth while increasing production capacity. The expanded facility will have a usable area of approx. 18,700 m².
ESPOO, Finland — Dispelix, a developer and manufacturer of waveguides for enterprise augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) wearables, has partnered with two companies to advance laser beam scanning (LBS) solutions for AR glasses. The company will work with color chip, a designer and manufacturer of photonic integrated circuits based on his proprietary waveguide technology for planar light circuits, and maradin ltd, a developer of 1D and 2D microelectromechanical scanning mirrors (MEMS) and mirror controls. The collaboration includes Dispelix diffractive waveguide displays, a color chip PLC beam combiner and Maradin MEMS projection technology for LBS. Benefits of LBS for AR glasses include small form factor glasses that are lightweight and enabled by thin, full-color waveguide displays with compact, low-power LBS projectors; high brightness; and high color optimization through pixel-by-pixel control.
Seoul, South Korea – Rivada Space Networks (RSN) signed a partnership agreement with Spectral, a provider of quantum-secure communications systems, to demonstrate the technical compatibility of adding a quantum key distribution (QKD) encryption layer to enhance the security of communications across satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit. In 2024, RSN plans to launch its laser-linked constellation of 600 satellites and four progenitor satellites, and SpeQtral will launch its QKD satellite, SpeQtral-1. This will allow RSN and SpeQtral to jointly establish quantum-secure data links across the RSN precursor satellites and to validate both the space and ground station terminals required for QKD-enabled encrypted traffic in the RSN constellation, RSN said.
SYDNEY — Baraja, a developer of wavelength-tunable laser-enabled lidar technology and creator of the spectrum scan solution for autonomous vehicles, has entered into an advanced development agreement with a major automotive OEM to develop its Spectrum HD25 lidar product specifically for automotive integration. Baraja entered into the agreement with its partner, a Tier 1 automotive supplier Veoneerto accelerate the scale required for automotive integration. Under the terms of the agreement, Baraja will enter the next phase of development for the Spectrum HD25, which is built on Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan solid-state scanning platform.
LOS ANGELES – Mynaric will worry Northrop Grumman with optical communications terminals for 14 satellites as part of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1 tracking layer program. Each satellite carries a wide-angle infrared sensor, three optical communications terminals, and a Ka-band communications payload. Mynaric will supply 42 CONDOR Mk3 terminals to Northrop Grumman for the program, with product deliveries largely expected in 2024 for deployment in 2025. The Tranche 1 tracking layer will detect, identify and track hypersonic weapons and other advanced missiles from their earliest stages when launched through interception. Upon full deployment in 2025, the Tranche 1 tracking layer satellites will operate in up to four low-Earth orbital aircraft linked to Tranche 1 transport layer satellites. The SDA selected Northrop Grumman as one of its two prime contractors for its Tranche 1 Tracking Layer as part of the National Defense Space Architecture’s initial missile warning/tracking capability.
COMMUNITY OF LYON, Mich. — ZEISS introduced its Quality Excellence Center near Detroit. The facility for the Industrial Quality and Research segment of ZEISS is represented in the USA by Industrial quality solutions from Carl Zeiss. The website includes a modern working environment and an advanced setting for customers to browse quality assurance technologies in the showroom. The site extends over more than 7500 m² and offers space for almost 170 employees on two floors.
ZEISS celebrates the grand opening of the new Quality Excellence Center in Wixom, Michigan, with the official ribbon cutting. Courtesy of ZEISS.
BARRINGTON, NJ — Edmund Optics and SCHOTT expanded its strategic partnership to provide customers in Asia with easy access to high-quality optical glass filters. Both Edmund Optics and SCHOTT can now leverage each other’s supply chains to make the filter glass market in China more efficient. An inventory of 58 types of SCHOTT filter glasses is held in stock and is available in round and square sizes of 12.5mm, 25mm and 50mm, the companies said.
SIGNAPORE — Obviously scientific celebrates the grand opening of its APAC headquarters in Singapore on October 25th. The campus includes the Evident APAC Technology Centre, the Omni Theater, the Microscopy Center and the Service and Repair Center.
AMSTERDAM – The European Commission has approved the European infrastructure for Rydberg Quantum Computing (EuRyQa) Project aiming to establish Rydberg quantum processors as the leading platform for scalable quantum computing in Europe. EuRyQa brings together 11 partners from seven countries and is funded under the Horizon Europe program with a total budget of almost 5 million euros (4.8 million US dollars) over the next three years.
WOLFSBURG, Germany — Tue Volkswagen Group and quantum computing companies Xanadu launched a multi-year research program to improve the performance of quantum algorithms for simulating battery materials. The aim is to reduce computational costs and accelerate Volkswagen’s adoption of quantum computing to develop battery materials that are safer, lighter and less expensive.
STOCKHOLM — Arelion completed a series of experiments with acacia and Cisco across multiple third-party open-line systems; On a live fiber link with existing ROADM infrastructure between Hamburg and Copenhagen, Arelion successfully deployed Acacia Bright 400ZR+ QSFP-DD coherent modules with more than +1 dBm transmit power between Cisco 8000 and NCS 5700 router platforms. The experiment demonstrated the seamless integration of routed optical networks with dense wavelength division multiplexing transponders carrying wavelength services.
LITTLE SKIRT, Ark. — Windstream wholesalewith partners Coherent Corp. and Nokia, completed full integration of the 400 Gig, 0 dBm QSFP-DD pluggable into the Nokia 7250 IXR X1 and 7250 IXR-X3 ubiquitous routers. The integrated solution is now ready for full commercial deployment and accelerates Windstream’s ICON and ICON Edge network strategy.
