The quantum information company Infleqtion announced on Jan. 29 that it has acquired SiNoptiq Inc. and Morton Photonics Inc., two silicon photonics companies that bring with them more than 40 patents and product portfolios. According to the agreement, SiNoptiq president and CEO Dr. Dan Blumenthal will join Infleqtion as chief photonics architect, and Morton Photonics CEO Dr. Paul Morton will join Infleqtion as vice president of photonics and general manager of Infleqtion’s Santa Barbara research center.
With these acquisitions, Infleqtion intends to expedite plans for chip-scale integration of lasers and photonic and atomic systems—commercializing quantum products, such as sensors and quantum computers, supporting the overall quantum supply chain, and enabling quantum manufacturing at scale.
Scott Faris, CEO of Infleqtion, said in a press release, “Getting quantum technologies out of labs and into the hands of customers requires a heavy focus on scale, both in manufacturing and across the entire supply chain. These acquisitions enhance our ability to deliver high-value quantum solutions with the scale and resiliency required by critical sectors like defense and business-critical enterprise deployments. It’s another great example of how Infleqtion is leading the industry toward commercialization of quantum solutions.”
Dr. Blumenthal, who, in addition to his new role with Infleqtion, will continue in his position as distinguished professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Terabit Optical Ethernet Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said in the same press release, “Together, we will push the commercial boundaries of what is achievable in advancing high-performance lasers and photonics integration, cementing Infleqtion’s position at the forefront of quantum innovation and commercialization.”
Dr. Morton, who, among other achievements, pioneered ultra-fast telecom lasers and led a research team transferring the first integrated photonics devices (EMLs) to the optoelectronics business unit, said in the same release, “Infleqtion’s vision and dedication to quantum-enabled solutions strongly resonates with Morton Photonics’ mission. By joining forces with the Infleqtion team, we will drive dual-use photonic innovations and scale our impact, paving the way for synergistic breakthroughs in defense and transformative technologies like quantum radio frequency (RF) and RF photonics as well as delivering tangible value to markets such as automotive LiDAR and 5G networks.”
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