New Delhi: India is soon set to have its own multi-channel tuneable laser system technology platforms which will help in the sectors of medicine, remote sensing, geo-mapping, and space, the Ministry of Science & Technology said on Friday.

This comes as India gets ready to take a "quantum" leap through its ₹6,000 crore National Quantum Mission (NQM), launched in 2023 by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), under the Ministry.

The new laser system will be manufactured by a spinoff company from Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of DST.

"The indigenous platforms could lower costs of quantum optics labs and be used for medicine, remote sensing, geo-mapping, and space," the ministry said.

The RRI recently awarded the licence to its first spin-off company nexAtom Research and Instruments, which is expected to soon commence production of the multi-channel system. The tuneable lasers which are called the External Cavity Diode Lasers (ECDL), are very precise spectroscopic tools meant for addressing quantum systems in research and technology labs. Such tuneable laser systems will be useful for developing solutions across quantum communication, quantum technology, quantum systems, and metrology -- all of which are the core themes of the DST-led NQM.

“These laser systems, known as External Cavity Diode Lasers (ECDL), are essential for quantum optics research but have been prohibitively expensive until now. The new technology promises to make them more accessible to researchers and industry alike,” RRI said.

Further, RRI and nexAtom also wish to create a template for others in academia working in the quantum domain towards entrepreneurship in India, said Professor Sadiq Rangwala, professor at the Light and Matter group at the RRI.

he project, which began in 2017, represents a shift from analogue to digital control electronics in laser technology. And, nexAtom’s systems will be available as integrated packages or sub-systems, making them highly cost-effective.

This initiative is expected to create a template for academic entrepreneurship in India's quantum domain and contribute to building a high-end scientific ecosystem in the country.

(With Agency Inputs)