Photonic systems developer Gooch & Housego PLC won government funding from Innovate UK and the UK National Quantum Technologies Program for its REVEAL and CASPA projects. REVEAL aims to develop a quantum gravity sensor based on a cold atom interferometer for underground surveying in civil engineering projects. Partners include E2v Technologies Ltd., RSK Group PLC and the University of Birmingham. The goal of CASPA (Cold Atom Space Payload) is to develop a CubeSat-compatible payload capable of producing cold atoms in space. Demonstrating this new technology in space is a vital first step toward realizing real instruments that are capable of mapping tiny changes in the strength of gravity across the surface of the earth, which could be used for resource exploration of or to monitor changes in polar ice mass, ocean currents and sea level. “Fiber lasers are at the heart of both projects,” said Andrew Robertson, vice president of business development and head of the Systems Technology Group at Gooch & Housego. “G&H’s expertise in fiber laser systems and control technology is fundamental to the effective practical deployment of cold atom technology.” Similar technology will also be used for deep space navigation and for providing higher precision timing sources for next-generation global positioning systems. Project partners include E2v Technologies Ltd., Clyde Space Ltd., XCAM Ltd., Covesion Ltd., the University of Birmingham and the University of Southampton. Innovate UK aims to grow the UK economy by facilitating science and technology innovations between people, companies and partner organizations. The UK National Quantum Technologies Program translates academic work on quantum mechanics and the effects of quantum superposition and quantum entanglement into new products and services, bringing physicists and engineers together with companies and entrepreneurs who have an interest in commercializing the technology.