An Enterprise Ireland client - Eblana Photonics - has won a significant European Space Agency (ESA) contract to develop lasers for use in the most precise atomic clocks that have ever been proposed

The founder of Eblana Photonics, Dr. James O'Gorman, explained that the company's products are based on a patented high-performance laser diode technology platform that is not just limited to use in Atomic Clocks. This is an opportunity for Eblana Photonics' high performance lasers to help improve the accuracy of global positioning systems and satellite navigation as well as have an impact on the accuracy of terrestrial applications such as high-speed optical communications, medical sensing and toxic gas detection he said.

Eblana Photonics secured this major ESA contract with assistance from Enterprise Ireland which manages Ireland's membership of the European Space Agency and helps Irish companies and researchers to participate in its programmes and bids for ESA contracts.

Congratulating the company on its success, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan T.D said; This is an excellent example of how small high-tech Irish companies are developing highly innovative technologies for highly demanding international clients like the European Space Agency. Eblana Photonics is producing some exciting technologies that have many practical applications - in space, and on Earth, and are to be congratulated on winning this ESA contract.

Awarding the contract, the European Space agency said; We are excited to put this new technology to the test and verify the anticipated performance. On passing our very demanding selection criteria for space we see a very promising future for an implementation of Eblana's technology into many applications and payloads. An expansion of the range of lasers to cover applications in the visible, UV and infrared shall open even more possibilities.

Eblana Photonics originated as a company from advanced photonic research involving Enterprise Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and the Tyndall National Institute. The company is now Europe's largest indigenous supplier of semiconductor lasers for optical communications and a world leader in the supply of monolithic narrow linewidth laser diodes which are used in sensors and atomic clocks.