QPods is a dedicated mechanically and thermally stable optoelectronics module to drive magneto-optical traps (MOT) used in several UK Quantum projects. The QPods project will considerably reduce the SWAPC by holistically integrating all the essential components into a single ruggedised package.

Existing systems are based on laboratory-grade components (often Thorlabs). Manual alignment of optical components on optical tables leads to instability of the overall system and reduction in performance due to continual alignment drift. This leads to difficulties in system-level production of atom trap-based quantum products.

In this project, Bay Photonics will develop QPods, in collaboration with NPL and with close engagement with a user advisory board (UAB) comprising several end-users and system integrators. Several UAB members are developing/have systems that include various configurations of MOT chambers; each have expressed the critical need for QPods to compliment/complete their product offerings.

Compared with existing systems, QPods offers (i) \>3000x improvement in optical alignment drift (vs. manual tuning X-Y stages/mounts), (ii) reduction in the number of components (no alignment optics required), (iii) considerable improvement in mechanical and thermal stability (e.g. MIL-spec), (iv) reduction in overall form-factor from ~60,000 cm3 to <100 cm3, (v) highly scalable production thereby reducing future costs, (vi) eliminates the need for labour intensive manual tuning -- essential for applications outside the laboratory.

QPods will enable Bay Photonics to establish themselves as key suppliers to the UAB and wider cold-atom community. Augmented designs will seek exploit opportunities in ion-trapping applications (for e.g. Quantum Computers), high-speed telecoms and LIDAR will also be explored in the project.