An Edinburgh laser company, spun out of Heriot-Watt University, that makes ultrafast tunable lasers used in research on light, quantum science and industry.
Chromacity makes ultrafast lasers, which are lasers that give off bursts of light lasting only a tiny fraction of a billionth of a second. Different kinds of light are useful for different jobs, so its lasers can be tuned across a wide range of colours, from ultraviolet to deep infrared. They are used in microscopes that look at living cells, in sensors that detect gases and pollution, in checking semiconductors for defects, and in quantum research, for example to create pairs of linked photons and to test detectors. The company also names its laser models after lighthouses.
Chromacity was formed in 2013 as a spin-out from the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, built on work by Professor Derryck Reid and colleagues Dr Carl Farrell and Dr Christopher Leburn. The aim was to commercialise a patented, high-efficiency core for tunable infrared lasers. It moved into its own premises at the Heriot-Watt Research Park in 2015. We did not find a formal mission statement. Recent press describes its aim as expanding from research customers into industrial markets such as semiconductor testing, defence and environmental sensing while keeping its reputation for high-quality research lasers.
Chromacity is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the Heriot-Watt Research Park, and it is part of the city's photonics community, one of the best-connected laser and photonics clusters in the UK. Press reports from 2021 to 2023 name Shahida Imani as chief executive, Robert Black as non-executive chairman and Richard Laming as a board member, and Julian Hayes has also been quoted as chief executive in a magazine interview, so the leadership has changed over time. Reports also say the engineering group includes people from the Shetland Islands. We did not find a published headcount.
On culture, the sources say little. The picture that comes through is a small, specialist company where scientists and engineers work close to customers, with the founders' university lab still behind its technology. The company has publicly said it is working on affordable ultrafast lasers that are reliable and simple to use, which points to a focus on making advanced equipment easier for people outside specialist labs. That is a company statement and has not been independently checked.
People who work for a laser maker include optical and laser physicists who design the systems, mechanical and electronics engineers who build and test them, software engineers who write control programmes, and applications scientists who help customers get results. Sales, support and operations roles are needed as well, especially when selling to customers overseas. Physics, engineering and computing are the usual starting points. The company's website lists current roles.
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