Atomic-photonic Interfaces via linear and nonlinear photonics for the real world

Quantum technologies stand at the forefront of both scientific inquiry and economic growth, delivering the most precise instruments humanity has ever developed—from ultra-stable clocks to secure communication systems and powerful quantum computers. These breakthroughs not only deepen our fundamental understanding of the universe but also drive significant financial investment worldwide.

However, translating quantum devices from pristine laboratory experiments to robust, real-world applications demands extremely precise and versatile photonic systems. Requirements such as visible laser sources, frequency combs, modulators, and beam-shaping mechanisms push the boundaries of current technology, necessitating new scientific insights and inventive engineering. This tight interplay between fundamental research and applied development underpins the next generation of “atomic-photonic interfaces” that can meet the exacting standards of field-deployable quantum platforms.

In this talk, I will outline how my work over the past years addresses these challenges, spanning both linear and nonlinear integrated photonics. Highlights include the first demonstration of a Strontium clock using meta-photonic interfaces, efficient light shaping and delivery schemes, microcomb generation, material-level dispersion engineering for nonlinear devices, and more. A key example of this progress is the TaLiN platform, a wafer-scale integration of tantalum pentoxide and thin-film lithium niobate that unifies linear, nonlinear χ(2) and χ(3), passive, and active devices – all on a single, scalable platform. Among other benefits, by dramatically broadening the palette of achievable visible laser wavelengths on an integrated platform, TaLiN offers the potential to free quantum researchers from the constraints of off-the-shelf source availability, enabling them to concentrate on atomic transitions best suited to their specific applications - shifting the paradigm from “choose the laser” to “choose the atom”. The convergence of new materials, state-of-the-art device designs, and manufacturing processes paves the way for genuinely transformative and versatile quantum devices operating outside the laboratory.

BIO: Grisha Spektor focuses on inventing and developing linear and nonlinear photonics. His contributions include novel light delivery schemes for atomic-photonic interfaces, advanced microresonator frequency combs, meta-photonics, and the delivery of enabling fieldable packaged photonics for both industry and the scientific communities. Grisha earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is currently Photonics engineer and Scientist at Octave Photonics .