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OSI Optoelectronics - Custom Solutions LB 5/23

Aeluma Secures U.S. Navy, NASA Contracts

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High-performance semiconductor company Aeluma has secured contracts with NASA and the U.S. Navy that could accelerate development and commercialization for next-generation quantum and sensing systems, the company said.

The contract with NASA will advance Aeluma's efforts to commercialize entangled photon sources, supporting quantum computing and communication systems. By integrating nonlinear optical materials on CMOS standard 200-mm silicon, Aeluma provides a path to scale quantum photonic circuits while meeting NASA's SWaP (size, weight, and power) requirements.

The Navy contract follows Aeluma’s demonstration of wafer-scale integration of the nonlinear optical materials aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) onto CMOS silicon photonics-standards 200-mm diameter wafers, in collaboration with Thorlabs Crystalline Materials.

The contract with the U.S. Navy will support Aeluma's low SWaP imaging sensors for next-generation submarine systems. Leveraging its ability to directly integrate SWIR sensors on silicon, Aeluma enables multi-spectrum visible + SWIR sensing in a single chip. This technology, according to Aeluma, is also directly aligned with its commercial roadmap across mobile, AR/VR, robotics, and industrial sensing. 
 
Aeluma secured an additional contract with the U.S. Navy last month for the development of high-speed photodetectors. Earlier this year, the company became a full industry member of the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics), one of nine manufacturing innovation institutes established by the U.S. Department of Defense.


Published: July 2025
Glossary
integrated photonics
Integrated photonics is a field of study and technology that involves the integration of optical components, such as lasers, modulators, detectors, and waveguides, on a single chip or substrate. The goal of integrated photonics is to miniaturize and consolidate optical elements in a manner similar to the integration of electronic components on a microchip in traditional integrated circuits. Key aspects of integrated photonics include: Miniaturization: Integrated photonics aims to...
quantum
The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of physics that emerged in the early 20th century to explain phenomena observed on very small scales, where classical physics fails to provide accurate explanations. In the context of quantum theory, several key concepts are associated with the term quantum: Quantum mechanics: This is the branch of...
Businesscontractintegrated photonicsSensors & DetectorsquantumAelumaNASAentangled photon sourcessiliconsilicon photonicsSWIRphotonic integrated circuitsPICsmanufacturingNavyU.S. NavymilitaryAmericasIndustry News

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