PM Emcee

The growing demand for monitoring of specific molecules in environmental, health, and security applications has created a need for inexpensive and power-efficient light sources. In particular, the mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength range from 3 µm to 6 μm is of high interest for gas-sensing. Many trace gases ubiquitous to industrial sites have their strongest absorption bands in this region, e.g. carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, water, and various important hydrocarbons. They show absorption strengths that are several orders of magnitude higher than those in other spectral areas. Aiming at providing reliable broadband and cost-effective alternatives to standard optical gas analysis, nanoplus has developed light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the MIR. The novel substrate-side top-emitting devices rely on the innovative nanoplus technology for distributed feedback (DFB) interband cascade lasers (ICL) and are available at customized wavelengths between 2800 nm and 6500 nm. They display higher wall-plug efficiencies and maximum output powers than previous MIR LEDs, operating in continuous-wave (cw) at room temperature. nanoplus has specialized in designing DFB lasers for high-precision gas sensing in industry and research. Based on a ridge waveguide structure, which is independent of the material system, nanoplus designs CW DFB lasers at any wavelength between 760 nm and 14 µm. The nanoplus flagship product is a DFB ICL with target wavelengths from 2800 nm to 6500 nm and an extremely narrow linewidth of below 3 MHz. At top-rated wavelengths, the laser shows output powers above 10 mW and is hence perfectly suitable for highly sensitive gas detection. In this talk we will present various applications which utilize DFB ICLs or MIR LEDs and give a general overview of this technology including latest results from interband cascade photodiodes (PD) and LED-arrays in the MIR.     Lars Hildebrandt Divisional Director Sales and Marketing Nanoplus GmbH Lars Hildebrandt s director of sales at nanoplus GmbH and has been working in the tunable semiconductor laser market since 1996, mainly in product development (external cavity diode laser and quantum cascade laser systems) and in sales and marketing. Hildebrandt holds a PhD in Physics, earned in 2004 from the University of Potsdam, Germany, working with blue external cavity diode lasers for atom spectroscopy of Indium and for gas sensing applications. From 2005 through 2008 he was a project manager in the automotive industry for product innovation and introduction into high volume series production. After gaining experience in this new business field, he returned to semiconductor lasers in 2009. Hildebrandt is since then responsible for all sales and marketing activities for nanoplus worldwide.   Jonathan Felbinger QED-C Deputy Director SRI International (United States)

Jonathan Felbinger is the deputy director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). In his career spanning academia, industry, and government, he has developed research and development (R&D) strategies, exercised oversight of portfolios, and implemented advanced R&D programs. Prior to joining QED-C, Jonathan was with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he led studies and managed technological aspects of reports to Congress. Previously, he was awarded a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship to explore frontiers in fundamental research while serving the Department of Defense’s grants office. IEEE elevated Jonathan to Senior Member in recognition of sustained, significant scientific and engineering performance. He is dedicated to furthering the development and adoption of quantum and related emerging technologies for national and societal benefits. Outside of the quantum realm, Jonathan is an active volunteer and nonprofit board member and enjoys the outdoors.

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2:30 - 2:40 PM:
Introductory remarks
Session Chair: Mark Wippich, MPW (United States)

2:40 - 3:30 PM:
Introductions and remarks from the panelists
Before the discussion, we will hear from each panelist as they deliver a brief introduction.

3:30 - 4:15 PM:
Panel discussion on the quantum marketplace and solutions for deployed Quantum 2.0

Moderator

Mark Wippich Principal MPW LLC (United States)

Mark Wippich is Principal of MPW, a leading advisory firm in the technology space. He is leading various quantum initiatives (including photonics), advising leading entrepreneurs and established companies on quantum 2.0 execution in corporate development and strategy.

Panelists

Marco Arrigoni Director of Strategic Marketing Coherent Corp. (United States)

Marco Arrigoni received his MSEE from Politecnico di Milano and joined Coherent as R&D laser engineer in 1988. After holding various positions in marketing and business management with Coherent, in 2007 he assumed his current position of Director of Strategic Marketing. Marco holds patents related to design and applications of lasers and authored peer-review and technical magazines publications on laser technology and applications to space communication, spectroscopy and non-linear microscopy.

Mark Tolbert CEO TOPTICA Photonics, Inc. (United States)

Through Mark Tolbert’s leadership as CEO, TOPTICA Photonics, Inc. has pushed advances in scientific research and has successfully commercialized cutting edge technology for OEM applications in quantum, biophotonics and materials. TOPTICA received the PRISM award in 2019 for the TOPO, a widely tunable high-power continuous wave OPO laser system. Mark’s passion for the industry has propelled him to develop connections and insights from the photonics community on a global level, and he is focused on continuing to advocate for the industry as an essential enabler of emerging technology. Mark is an active contributor to most quantum initiatives in North America, including DOE and NSF centers and is a stakeholder on the NQI bill.

Sascha Häuser Vice President Sales NKT Photonics (Denmark)

Sascha Häuser has more than twenty years of experience in the photonics industry where he worked with a large array of different laser technologies. In addition to his technical background, Sascha holds a degree in Business Administration from FOM Essen. He joined NKT Photonics in 2007 and worked in several different positions within sales management, key account management and business development. In 2020, he took his current position as Vice President Sales, with a strategic market development focus on Quantum Technologies.

Scott Davis CEO and Founder Vescent Photonics Inc. (United States)

Scott Davis is a physicist entrepreneur with an emphasis on new technology transition from the laboratory to manufacturing to deployment in the field. He led the development of optical waveguide based non-mechanical beamsteerers; assets sold to a large public company for the automotive LiDAR market in 2016. Since becoming CEO in 2020, he has led Vescent to develop technologies and products, such as compact laser systems for trapping and cooling atoms, compact and deployable frequency combs, miniature spectroscopic standards, and other tools that are aimed at furthering the development and field-deployment of quantum systems. Vescent products enable quantum sensors, clocks, and other quantum systems that are field-deployed globally.

Gordon Morrison Vice President of Engineering Freedom Photonics LLC (United States)

Gordon Morrison is the Vice President of Engineering at Freedom Photonics. He has more than twenty years of experience in the design and engineering of various photonic devices, including DFB lasers, tunable lasers and externally modulated DFB lasers. Dr. Morrison also leads the team at Freedom Photonics that integrates single mode semiconductor lasers and photonic circuits into advanced modules for applications such as NMR Gyros, Magnetometers, Clocks, and Rydberg Receivers.

Chris Wood Chief Technology Officer Infleqtion (United States)

Chris Wood is an experienced technical executive with a demonstrated history of success in the LiDAR, defense, space flight, laser, and optical fabrication industries. His extensive AMO background and years of experience with PICs is now being leveraged at Infleqtion to commercialize quantum.

Leonie Mueck Chief Product Officer Riverlane (United States)

As Chief Product Officer, Leonie Mueck is responsible for building, commercialising and marketing Riverlane’s product lines. Leonie is passionate about helping Riverlane’s customers move quickly and easily to quantum advantage. Leonie brings eight years’ experience in quantum technologies and business development, with a PhD in quantum chemistry from the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz in Germany. After her PhD, she held senior editorial roles at Nature and Nature Communications where she was responsible for covering quantum computing and other topics in physics. An ardent supporter of Open Science, Leonie then joined PLOS ONE, building and leading a physical sciences and engineering division in a fast-paced management environment. Leonie is a huge supporter of diversity in STEM and has previously served on NumFOCUS’s diversity and inclusion committee.