Automated packaging for photonic quantum systems

Photonics Gets a Quantum Makeover: Dr. Erik Beckert’s Vision for Packaging the Future Imagine trying to build a Swiss watch, but with lasers, atoms, and particles of light – and then trying to sell that watch to the quantum computing industry. That’s essentially what Dr. Erik Beckert and his team at Photonics Foundry GmbH are doing. Except instead of watches, they’re building ultra-precise photonic systems that are becoming the backbone of emerging quantum technologies. Dr. Beckert, who also heads the Opto-Mechatronical Components and Systems department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF), took the stage to explain how his team is turning the messy, slow, and complicated process of quantum hardware development into something sleek, scalable, and ready for the market. And yes – he brought the German flag to remind us who’s behind this industrial-grade innovation.

Light Particles with Superpowers

First things first: what’s photonics got to do with quantum technology? In short – everything.

Many quantum systems, whether for computing, communication or sensing, rely on photons (particles of light) either to carry information, to read or manipulate quantum states, or to store data. Even those mysterious setups using atoms or ions often use lasers to “talk” to them. That’s where photonics enters the quantum arena.

But here’s the kicker – building and aligning the components that interact with these photons, particularly single photons, is no walk in the park. It’s like threading a needle blindfolded, while your lab partner tells you not to move even a nanometre.

This is the challenge Photonics Foundry is solving.

The Problem: Great Ideas, No Way to Build Them

Many startups and research teams have brilliant quantum ideas – novel lasers, entangled photon sources, detectors, quantum memories. But very few have the staff, tools, or cleanroom infrastructure to go from idea to prototype, let alone to scalable production.

Enter Photonics Foundry: a kind of “Quantum-as-a-Service” for building the optical and photonic backbone of these quantum products.

They don’t just provide parts. They take a customer’s idea, design it for manufacturability, create working prototypes, and even offer low- to medium-scale production – all under one very clean roof. And if you want to take your baby and build it elsewhere later? They’ll help you transfer the tech too.

The Secret Sauce: Packaging at the Quantum Level

Here’s where things get spicy. Packaging photonic systems isn’t just about putting parts in a box. When you're dealing with single photons, every mirror, lens, and interface has to be aligned with extreme precision. We're talking sub-micron accuracy and low-loss interfaces that don't gobble up your precious quantum signals.

Special considerations include:

• Low-loss optical coatings: To keep light from vanishing into the abyss.

• Stable alignments: Because even tiny shifts mess up quantum operations.

• High-speed electronics: For detecting and controlling photon arrival times down to the gigahertz.

• PIC packaging: For integrating photonic chips into the system.

It’s like launching a rocket with matchstick parts. If everything isn't perfectly lined up, it crashes and burns – or worse, it just doesn’t work.

Why It Matters

Let’s be honest: quantum tech won’t be ready for real-world use if it still depends on PhD students soldering parts at 3am. To scale, it needs something closer to an Intel fab than a garage.

Photonics Foundry is building that bridge – creating a path from lab bench to industrial-scale photonic systems. And by focusing on manufacturing-readiness from day one, they’re helping startups and researchers avoid the “prototype purgatory” where good ideas go to die.

In essence, they’re turning photons into products.

Key Takeaways from Dr. Beckert’s Talk

• Photonics is core to many quantum technologies, not just “optical” ones.

• Photonics Foundry offers end-to-end support: design, prototyping, small-batch production, and tech transfer.

• Packaging quantum systems requires special attention to alignment, losses, and high-frequency control systems.

• Single-photon systems introduce challenges that classical optics doesn’t face, like ultra-low noise detection and time correlation.

• The company has cleanroom facilities and precision assembly tools ready to go.

• They support both classical photonics and quantum-specific systems, including photonic integrated circuits (PICs).

Market Classification

• Core Domain: Photonic Quantum Technologies

• Category: Quantum Packaging & Photonics Integration

Sub-Markets & Adjacent Domains:

• Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs)

• Quantum communication hardware

• Quantum sensing devices

• Hybrid classical-quantum photonic systems

Competitor Categories:

• Integrated photonics foundries

• Custom optics assembly services

• Quantum hardware startups with internal fabrication

• Cleanroom service providers for optics

Market Outlook

• The market for photonic quantum systems is expected to grow significantly, projected in some estimates to reach $5-10 billion by 2030 for integrated photonic applications in quantum computing and communication.

• Demand for high-precision, scalable assembly is growing faster than universities and labs can supply.

• Companies that offer scalable, semi-automated packaging solutions for photonic quantum tech will be critical to unlocking real-world deployment.

Demand Drivers

• Rise in quantum computing startups needing physical realisation of photonic qubits.

• Expansion of quantum communication infrastructure using photonic repeaters and detectors.

• Increased investment in quantum sensing (e.g. for defence, health, and mining) requiring rugged photonic hardware.

• Integration of classical photonics (lasers, lenses) into hybrid systems that include quantum elements.

Final Thought

If photons are the messengers of the quantum world, Photonics Foundry is building the postal service. Dr. Beckert and his team are transforming quantum dreams into tangible, buildable hardware – one laser-aligned mirror at a time.

And unlike quantum entanglement, you won’t need a spooky connection to get your product built. Just clean specs, a good design, and a trip to Bremen.