Vexlum and Menlo Systems launch collaboration to streamline optical clock development
The partnership plans to accelerate the transformation of navigation, data synchronization, and fundamental physics research with their new modular optical precision technology.
TAMPERE, Finland (April 16, 2026) Vexlum, a manufacturer of advanced semiconductor laser systems, and Menlo Systems, a leading provider of precision photonics technologies, today announced a collaboration to accelerate the development of ultra-precise optical atom clock timekeeping by providing an accessible, modular photonics source. Currently, the complexity and cost make it difficult to build and operate optical atomic clocks at scale. Vexlum and Menlo Systems are joining forces to change that by developing a system that makes building optical clocks more accessible, reliable, and cost-effective. The collaboration is part of the “VEQTOR” project, funded by EUROSTARS, a program supporting the advancement of quantum technology within Europe.
The aim of the collaboration is to combine Vexlum’s advanced, high-power lasers with Menlo Systems’ precision metrology instrumentation, resulting in a standardized light source that fulfills the extreme requirements demanded by the most precise clocks to date, ultimately allowing research institutions and companies to easily build optical atomic clocks. Applications for optical atomic clocks include GPS-independent navigation, secure data synchronization on a continental scale, for example, for stock trading, and unlocking precise gravitational sensing for large-scale infrastructure monitoring and the test of fundamental physical theories.
Optical atomic clocks are among the most precise instruments ever created, achieving accuracy levels that surpass microwave-based Cesium atomic clocks by more than two orders of magnitude. This is because optical clocks “tick” at the frequency of visible light, which oscillates approximately 100,000 times faster than microwaves, providing an unparalleled resolution for time measurement. However, despite their extraordinary precision, optical clocks are not yet ready to deliver their full potential.
“The laser systems these clocks rely on are often sourced from several suppliers, are complex systems on their own, and typically require at least some level of hands-on operation. This, in turn, makes their system integration, stabilization, and 24/7 operation extremely difficult. Our collaboration with Vexlum aims to close this gap by developing a next-generation turn-key system that can make optical clocks practical, scalable, and ready for real-world use,” says Dr. Felix Balling, Project Lead at Menlo Systems.
By integrating a dedicated laser platform built by Vexlum, Menlo Systems addresses the challenge of sourcing the many different laser colors needed to cool, trap, initialize, and measure the neutral strontium-87 (Sr) atoms used in the most advanced atomic clocks. Using its advanced semiconductor laser technology, Vexlum can easily provide all the laser solutions needed to work with Menlo Systems’ frequency control and metrology packages for any type of optical atomic clocks, enabling scientists to assemble their optical clock systems more rapidly.
“The rapid advances in laser and optics miniaturization are fundamentally changing the cost structure of quantum technology,” commented Riina Hietikko, Project Manager at Vexlum. “By leveraging Vexlum’s Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology, the necessary light sources can be provided in packages that are smaller, more robust, and more affordable than ever before. This level of integration means scientists can now skip the tedious, months-long effort of stabilizing and calibrating independent laser systems and jump straight to their experiments, accelerating discovery and the path to commercial applications.”
Both Vexlum and Menlo Systems are core partners in major EU-funded initiatives, including the Horizon Innovation Action project AQuRA (Advanced Quantum Clock for Real-World Applications).
These projects, which involve Finnish and German industrial and research institutions, are explicitly focused on strengthening the supply chain for robust, transportable optical clock components and accelerating the technology’s deployment from the laboratory into commercial and real-world environments.
Both Vexlum and Menlo will be exhibiting their technology and talking about their new partnership in Noordwijk, Netherlands, at the 39th European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF) international Conference and exhibition organised by the European Space Agency (ESA). You can find Vexlum at stand 13 and Menlo at stand 11, April 20-23, 2026.
For additional information:
Jussi-Pekka Penttinen, CEO and Co-founder
Vexlum
press@vexlum.com
+358 40 8417826
Ronald Holzwarth, CEO and Co-founder
Menlo Systems
marketing@menlosystems.com
+49 89 189 166 0
Vexlum
Vexlum is a deep-tech company specializing in high-power semiconductor laser systems based on its proprietary Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology. Spun out from Tampere University in Finland, Vexlum develops and manufactures cutting-edge lasers that offer unmatched performance in terms of system size, laser power, and cost for demanding applications in quantum technology, medicine, scientific research, and the semiconductor industry. This innovative technology is founded on a heritage directly associated with Nobel Prize-winning research, including a collaboration with Nobel laureate David Wineland’s group, whose foundational work with trapped ions was enabled by similar laser technology. Vexlum operates from both Tampere, Finland, and Boulder, Colorado, USA. For more information, visit www.vexlum.com.
Menlo Systems
Precision in photonics. Together we shape a sustainable future.
Menlo Systems, headquartered in Martinsried near Munich, is a leading developer and supplier of cutting-edge instrumentation for high-precision metrology. Our Nobel Prize-winning frequency comb technology is internationally recognized as a benchmark for precision and reliability. With subsidiaries in the US, Japan, and China, and a global distributor network, Menlo Systems is closely connected to its customers from science and industry around the world. Our main product lines are optical frequency combs, ultrastable microwave systems, solutions for time and frequency distribution, terahertz systems, femtosecond lasers, ultrastable lasers, and complete systems for quantum technology applications. In addition, we design and manufacture custom solutions for laser-based precision measurements. www.menlosystems.com
Attached group photo from VEQTOR kick-off meeting, Tampere, Finland.
From left:
Antti Rantaniemi, Vexlum
Riina Hietikko, Vexlum
Meri-Tuuli Pirttilä, Vexlum
Riku Keskinen, Vexlum
Martin Wolferstetter, Menlo Systems
Felix Balling, Menlo Systems
Jussi-Pekka Penttinen, Vexlum
Tommi Hakulinen, Vexlum
Topi Uusitalo, Vexlum