Optical clock technology tested in space for first time

For the first time, an optical clock has traveled to space, surviving harsh rocket launch conditions and successfully operating under the microgravity that would be experienced on a satellite. This demonstration brings optical clock technology much closer to implementation in space, where it could eventually allow GPS-based navigation with centimeter-level location precision.

The Laser Focus World take:

The 2017 Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar, January 30, during SPIE Photonics West, features a roundtable discussing the topic of Advanced Laser Diodes for Scientific, Defense, and Commercial Applications - Speakers include Robert Lutwak, DARPA; Wilhelm Kaenders, Toptica; and John Spencer, Photodigm. Join us for this discussion and much more. http://www.marketplaceseminar.com/conference.html

Recent generations of specialized diffraction-limited, low noise, narrow-linewidth lasers diodes, based primarily on DFB or DBR technology, have demonstrated their value in instrumentation ranging from cold atom optics and navigation systems to lidar, spectroscopy, and medical imaging. This Roundtable will ask: What is the larger opportunity here? What types of lasers are best suited for different applications? What do customers need and what will they pay for? How do these laser diodes compete with incumbent technologies? Are more commercial, even handheld, devices possible?