Customer Focus – QuantX Labs
Precision time measurement is important in many industries. Generally, we might think of a race clock, a shot clock, or an oven timer as needing to be accurate. But what if it needs to be extremely precise? When it’s a matter of national security, scientific experiments, or perfecting the quantum computer, precision takes on a whole new meaning. You need a clock so accurate that after 40 million years it would only be off by a mere 1 second to produce the most accurate results. If you need something this precise you might want to look at the Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator called CryoClock from QuantX Labs (formerly Cryoclock).
This new Sapphire Clock will give radar systems a boost allowing them to see smaller objects at a greater distance. For example, it can provide greater strength to the Jindalee Operational Radar Network tracking planes and ships at a distance, providing additional security monitoring in and around Australia. The Clock allows the radar to track smaller objects, slower moving objects, and increases range of monitoring while also increasing accuracy. The Sapphire Clock creates new possibilities in a variety of applications.
An incredible amount of study and research went into bringing this product to the commercial market. Around 25 years of dedication and work led up to the moment where all the pieces fell into place. The heart of the clock is a man-made 1,200 carat sapphire which needs to be cryogenically cooled. Cooling the crystal down to 6 K (-277C/-466F) provides a stability to the resonance of the crystal when working in conjunction with an oscillator. Initially this cooling process was achieved with liquid helium. However, this required time consuming upkeep and the expense of refilling the helium after it boiled off.
Around 2010, Professor John Gideon Hartnett (of QuantX Labs) realized that a cryocooler might be the solution he was looking for in perfecting the Sapphire Oscillator. It would eliminate the need to refill helium and enable a user to go for years without maintenance to the system. We were proud to provide a solution which enabled QuantX Labs to bring their product to the commercial market. A Cryomech PT407 Cryocooler with a Remote Motor provided the cooling power needed to produce the stability and reliability they were looking for. Not only that, but they also saw improved performance of the oscillator when using a cryocooler.
This amazing innovation has led to several awards for the QuantX Labs team. In 2018 they won the Australian Museum Eureka Prize in Defense Science and Technology for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia. This was followed up in 2019 when they were honored with two awards from the Avalon 2019 Innovation Awards.
We congratulate the QuantX Labs team (Prof. Andre Luiten, Dr. John Hartnett, Asso. Prof. Martin O’Connor, Dr. Fred Baynes, Dr. Ori Henderson-Sapir, Dr. Ka Wu) for their accomplishments. We can’t wait to see where we will find QuantX Labs in the future. This will certainly be a company to keep an eye on! Learn more about the team and their work.