According to news from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on August 6, DARPA launched a “ripe time” project to build a pilot manufacturing line for tactical-grade optical atomic clocks to promote large-scale transformation of quantum technology from laboratories to defense applications. The project will solve the problems of miniaturization, environmental interference resistance, and standardized production of quantum devices based on the integration and calibration results of a “robust optical clock network” and optical-atomic systems, and explore the implementation of high-precision timing and communication in a GPS-free environment. DARPA has awarded IonQ the relevant contract to complete the manufacturing facility in mid-2027 and deliver the first batch of products within the next year.

According to news from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on August 6, DARPA launched a “ripe time” project to build a pilot manufacturing line for tactical-grade optical atomic clocks to promote large-scale transformation of quantum technology from laboratories to defense applications. The project will solve the problems of miniaturization, environmental interference resistance, and standardized production of quantum devices based on the integration and calibration results of a “robust optical clock network” and optical-atomic systems, and explore the implementation of high-precision timing and communication in a GPS-free environment. DARPA has awarded IonQ the relevant contract to complete the manufacturing facility in mid-2027 and deliver the first batch of products within the next year.