£1m Laser Tech Win For Cardiff Venture

A consortium led by a Cardiff University venture has been awarded £1.2m to develop laser technologies. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) – jointly owned by the University and IQE plc – will develop high performance, compound semiconductor lasers for use in miniaturised atomic clocks with a wide range of applications – from navigation products to defence and telecoms. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The award, from the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, will fund a two-year programme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

CSC will work with Cardiff University, Compound Semiconductor Technologies (Glasgow), and the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) to develop a UK supply chain for these key components. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Project Lead, Dr Wyn Meredith, said: “The UK has made a huge commitment to the commercialisation of Quantum Technologies, and there is a critical need for a new generation of components which underpin a new industry of quantum enabled systems and applications…” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

CSC was formed in August 2015 as a joint venture between Cardiff University, one of the Britain’s leading research universities, and IQE plc, the world leading supplier of advanced compound semiconductor wafer products. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Based in Cardiff, the Compound Semiconductor Centre is a vital milestone towards developing a world-class Compound Semiconductor cluster in South Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​