Building the Frequency and Time Backbone for Quantum Technologies

Quantum computing, optical clocks, and quantum communication increasingly depend on a common enabling infrastructure: reliable and low-noise frequency & time (F&T) distribution. As quantum technologies move from laboratory experiments toward larger, networked, and deployable systems, these F&T systems must deliver the same frequency stability and timing precision at larger scales and under real-world environmental conditions.

This talk will introduce key technologies to address this challenge. Stabilized fiber-optic links allow the transfer of either RF or optical reference F&T signals from campus-scale installations to distances of tens of kilometers without compromising their performance. Ultra-low-noise atomic clocks and femtosecond laser oscillators as well as high-precision monitoring, comparison, and distribution electronics allow to build up complete and robust architectures. Together, these solutions provide the backbone needed to scale the deployment and interconnection of optical clocks, modular quantum computers, and quantum key distribution networks.

About the presenter
Alice Autuori, Ph.D., is a product manager at Cycle, where she works with scientific and industrial partners to understand their unique synchronization and frequency and time signal requirements and helps translate them into robust solutions.

Her work covers applications in femtosecond laser laboratories, accelerator facilities, space ground stations, and quantum technology. Her focus is on femtosecond-precise synchronization and high-performance F&T systems. She holds an MSc in Optics and Photonics from Imperial College London and a doctorate in ultrafast laser physics from Université Paris-Saclay.