Market Analysis - Clock overview
Please note that the market analysis below provides an overview of the status of the market in September 2026 and does not include any products/data released after this date.
1. Scope
The following document aims to place the planned performance of the optical lattice clock developed in the AQuRA project into the technology landscape of currently available and upcoming clock technologies by plotting the total volume (as a representative figure for the size, weight and power (SWaP) budget) of the clock against its performance, as given by the fractional frequency stability (Allan Deviation) at 1s integration time.
Individual data points are colored via their underlying technology (microwave transition or optical transition, with a more detailed overview for the latter). Upcoming clocks with prototype specs (as specified as such in data sheets, conference contributions or application notes) are marked with an asterisk (*). Additionally, clocks that only specify clock laser stability (i.e., without down-division to the RF domain) are indicated with a dagger (†).
Individual data points are colored via their underlying technology (microwave transition or optical transition, with a more detailed overview for the latter). Upcoming clocks with prototype specs (as specified as such in data sheets, conference contributions or application notes) are marked with an asterisk (*). Additionally, clocks that only specify clock laser stability (i.e., without down-division to the RF domain) are indicated with a dagger (†).
2. Sources
Data for compiling the overview plot was taken from publicly available sources, majorly from datasheets available on the manufacturer website (without signup or similar), as downloaded in March 2026.
In the case of prototype clocks (i.e., no datasheet is available for download without sign-up, but target specifications or similar are available from other sources), values from recent conference abstracts were taken into account as well, which are cited separately below. Upcoming optical clocks without publicly available target specifications (e.g., the Shimadzu Aether Clock OC 020, which only announced clock laser stability) and clocks developed by universities, national metrology institutes (NMIs) or similar were not taken into account for the market analysis.
Shimadzu Aether Clock OC 020: https://www.shimadzu.com/about/magazine/tec_news/srv81_12/report10.html
QuantX Labs TEMPO V1.0 : https://quantxlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TEMPO-SS.pdf
Vescent MIRIDIAN: https://vescent-production-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/675222b6883975273c5a46bb.pdf
Infleqtion Tiqker Prime: https://www.ion.org/itm/abstracts.cfm?paperID=12892
Vector Atomic Evergreen-5/Evergreen-1: https://www.ion.org/itm/abstracts.cfm?paperID=16341
AFRL Rb Vapor Cells: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
IPAS Rb Vapor Cell: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
IPAS Yb Vapor Cell: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
SKOLTECH Yb Ion Clock: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/10/2213
TOC Sr Lattice Clock: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.073601
In the case of prototype clocks (i.e., no datasheet is available for download without sign-up, but target specifications or similar are available from other sources), values from recent conference abstracts were taken into account as well, which are cited separately below. Upcoming optical clocks without publicly available target specifications (e.g., the Shimadzu Aether Clock OC 020, which only announced clock laser stability) and clocks developed by universities, national metrology institutes (NMIs) or similar were not taken into account for the market analysis.
Shimadzu Aether Clock OC 020: https://www.shimadzu.com/about/magazine/tec_news/srv81_12/report10.html
QuantX Labs TEMPO V1.0 : https://quantxlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TEMPO-SS.pdf
Vescent MIRIDIAN: https://vescent-production-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/675222b6883975273c5a46bb.pdf
Infleqtion Tiqker Prime: https://www.ion.org/itm/abstracts.cfm?paperID=12892
Vector Atomic Evergreen-5/Evergreen-1: https://www.ion.org/itm/abstracts.cfm?paperID=16341
AFRL Rb Vapor Cells: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
IPAS Rb Vapor Cell: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
IPAS Yb Vapor Cell: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61140-2
SKOLTECH Yb Ion Clock: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/10/2213
TOC Sr Lattice Clock: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.073601
3. Result
AQuRA Licensing of Components
The components below are developed and/or improved within the framework of the AQuRA project. Please see the overview below on how to obtain a component or license to a technology.
- Computer control system (UvA): can be purchased from OpticsFoundry BV (OpticsFoundry.com).
- Optical circuit board (UvA): can be purchased from OpticsFoundry BV (OpticsFoundry.com).
- Software (UvA): can be downloaded from GitHub and used as desired (MIT license).
- SmartComb 250 MHz (MEN): can be purchased from Menlo Systems.
- Supercontinuum extension (MEN): can be purchased from Menlo Systems.
- Ultrastable optical reference systems (MEN): can be purchased from Menlo Systems.
- Hardware electronics (UMK): available in open access repository RepOD (https://repod.icm.edu.pl/).
- Software for solid-state Zeeman slower development (UMK): available on GitHub.
- Design files of solid-state Zeeman slower calculated for strontium: available in open access repository RepOD.
- 698 nm laser system (NKT): can be purchased from NKT Photonics.
- 689 nm laser system (NKT): can be purchased from NKT Photonics.
- 461 nm laser system (VEX): can be purchased from Vexlum Oy.
- Physics package (vacuum system and its environment) (CNRS): the design, assembly techniques, and/or realization of this can be licensed from LTE by contacting David Holleville ([email protected]).
- High-level control software (CNRS): can be licensed from LTE by contacting Jérôme Lodewyck ([email protected]).
