A Scottish company making compact, very pure single-frequency lasers for quantum sensing, navigation and scientific uses.
Skylark Lasers makes lasers with very pure light, called single-frequency lasers, which means the colour of the beam is extremely steady. Its main product line is Skylark NX, compact diode-pumped solid-state lasers used for Raman spectroscopy, holography, lithography, flow cytometry and quantum technology. A Technology Scotland profile quotes the company: "We develop and manufacture lasers with the purest spectral properties." Quantum sensors, such as gravity sensors, need very stable lasers, and Skylark has been developing one for a miniature gravity sensor with academic and industrial partners.
The company's stated aim is to shrink laser technology while reducing cost and weight and increasing power and performance. In 2023 it won a UK Government Innovate UK competition for quantum-enabled positioning, navigation and timing, and its chief executive, Dr Ben Szutor, said the project would help take its quantum portfolio to full commercialisation. Applications mentioned include ship and rail navigation, civil engineering and underground resource exploration. It has previously worked with QinetiQ and RSK. A Skylark system called NEST-Q is a quantum photonic subsystem, according to the Glentanglement directory.
Skylark is in Scotland. A headline on the Edinburgh News places it in Ratho, on the western edge of Edinburgh, and it is a member of Technology Scotland and part of the Scottish photonics and quantum cluster. Other sources did not give a city, so confirm the site address on its website. We did not find the founding year or the founders.
On culture, the 2024 Technology Scotland profile says the team is the largest it has been, with more varied skills, and that the company was establishing shared core values and a brand identity, with staff feeling they have a real say in its direction. Dr Szutor was appointed chief executive in the second half of 2023. No team size is given. Those are the company's own statements, reported in a membership profile.
In a laser manufacturer you would expect optical and laser engineers, physicists who design and test the laser cavities, mechanical and electronic engineers, production and test technicians, and sales and project staff. Physics, photonics and engineering degrees lead there. The company's website and Technology Scotland profile are the places to look for current projects.
Website: www.skylarklasers.com
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