The project
Pilot line and technologies
1. Chip-based laser components
Q-PLANET develops integrated laser and photonic components at the wavelengths required by neutral-atom systems: 461 nm, 698 nm, 795 nm and 1013 nm. The pilot line will work on low-noise laser sources, optical amplifiers, on-chip reference cavities, high-speed modulators, filters and frequency-conversion components. These technologies are essential for cooling, trapping, manipulating and reading out neutral atoms, while replacing bulky optical setups with more compact, scalable and reproducible chip-based solutions.
2. Atom chip manufacturing
Q-PLANET develops industrial-grade cleanroom processes for atom chips: microfabricated devices used to trap, guide and control ultra-cold neutral atoms directly on a chip. The work covers design rules, fabrication flows, integrated structures and validation for applications such as inertial sensing, positioning, navigation and timing, fast ultra-cold atom sources and neutral-atom quantum computing. The goal is to move atom-chip technologies from bespoke laboratory prototypes towards robust, repeatable and manufacturable components.
3. Microfabricated vapor cells
Q-PLANET advances microfabricated vapor cells: compact sealed chambers containing controlled atomic gases, used as the reference element in many quantum devices. The project will improve cell purity, lifetime, coatings, atomic species compatibility and integrated functionalities, while developing dedicated characterization methods. These vapor cells support applications such as atomic clocks, magnetometers, quantum memories, electric-field sensing, single-photon sources and terahertz imaging, helping keep Europe at the forefront of compact quantum sensing and metrology.
4. Control electronics
Q-PLANET develops control electronics for quantum technologies, providing the precise, low-noise and high-speed signals needed to operate lasers, modulators and atom-control hardware. This includes electronics for high-speed modulators, integrated laser and amplifier drivers, wavelength locking, FPGA-based control architectures and scalable multi-channel operation. These systems are critical for reliable neutral-atom platforms, where many optical and electronic channels must be synchronized with high precision.
5. Packaging and integration
Q-PLANET develops modular packaging and integration processes that turn individual chips and optical components into usable quantum-technology building blocks. This includes fiber coupling, thermal management, mechanical assembly, inspection methods and backend processes for photonic integrated circuits and optical components. The project will also develop Assembly Design Kits (ADKs), helping align chip design with packaging constraints, testing requirements and future pilot-line production.
6. Testing, methodologies and characterization
Q-PLANET creates the shared testing, documentation and characterization methods needed for a multi-partner European pilot line. The project will define common measurement protocols, quality-assurance approaches, data frameworks, middleware and documentation so that components can be compared, validated and improved across the value chain. It will also map relevant standards, vendor capabilities and specialized characterization tools needed for future scale-up and industrial access.