Following the company’s long-term succession plan designed to ensure continuity in leadership and sustained technological excellence, Frank Lison will take over the main responsibilities of Wilhelm Kaenders. Wilhelm will remain within the TOPTICA group as founder and continues to support the company’s successful evolution in some of its focus markets.
Frank Lison has been with TOPTICA in various roles since 2002 and currently, since 2016, serves as founding and managing director of TOPTICA Projects GmbH.

Frank has a physics degree from University Hannover, a PhD in cold atom physics from University Bonn, both with Prof. Dieter Meschede, and after a Postdoc with Prof. Ed Hinds in the UK, he started to work in the Central Research Group of Bayer AG.

Already in the important phase from 2002 to 2010, Frank accompanied the steady growth of TOPTICA as VP of R&D. When in 2009 the company TILL Photonics GmbH was acquired by TOPTICA and then sold to FEI München GmbH, Frank was the acting General Manager, before he rejoined the TOPTICA group.

Starting October 1st, 2026, the board of TOPTICA Photonics SE will consist of Dr. Frank Lison (CTO & President, spokesman of the executive board), Dr. Thomas Renner (CSO & President), Dr. Mathias Schindler (COO) and Fabian Uhl (CFO).

TOPTICA follows a dedicated roadmap to further grow into the market of lasers & systems for Quantum Technology, Biophotonics and Semicon/Materials.

Wilhelm Kaenders states: “For me, it was an honor and pleasure to start in 1998 and grow the company together with Thomas Weber, at the time as a five person endeavor with focus on scientific and optical data storage markets. We were quickly able to identify and attract excellent people to work with us, and most importantly, to adapt and meet market demands over the last three decades. As TOPTICA group, we have doubled our revenue and workforce since 2020”.

Frank Lison: "I’m excited to take over the role of CTO at TOPTICA. The company’s strong foundation in scientific excellence and laser technology is something I value highly. Together with our teams, I look forward to advancing our laser technologies further."

In his new role, Bertrand Viellerobe will lead the development and validation of next-generation laser systems, contributing to TOPTICA’s portfolio of high-performance solutions for scientific and industrial applications. He brings extensive experience in laser and optical system development, with a strong track record of leading multidisciplinary R&D teams, managing complex innovation projects, and translating advanced photonics technologies into real-world applications. 

The appointment reflects a strategic evolution of responsibilities within TOPTICA France. Dr. Germain Guiraud will transition to the role of Director of Laser Innovation, focusing on innovation and research, supporting forward-looking technology development and exploratory projects, notably within the framework of the joint laboratory Starlight+. 

“With Bertrand, we are strengthening our laser development capabilities at TOPTICA France. His expertise will be instrumental in advancing our technologies and supporting our ambition to deliver high-performance laser solutions for quantum technologies and precision applications,” said Dr. Nicholas Traynor, President TOPTICA Photonics SAS.

“I’m pleased to join TOPTICA and contribute to advancing laser development. I look forward to working with the team and building on the strong technological foundation in France,” added Dr. Viellerobe. 

By sharpening the focus on both product-oriented development and long-term innovation, TOPTICA France continues to play a key role in the company’s strategy to drive cutting-edge photonics technologies for research and industry.

TOPTICA Photonics SAS was founded in May 2023, following the acquisition of a majority stake in Azurlight Systems SAS by TOPTICA Photonics SE. Formerly known as Azurlight Systems, the company is a leading global manufacturer of high-power, low-noise fiber lasers and amplifiers.

TOPTICA Photonics SAS
33600 Pessac / France
+33 547 745590
sales@toptica-france.com

“Industrial Raman systems require more than high optical performance – they demand long-term stability and seamless integration into production environments,” said Stéphane Junique, Product Manager OEM Laser at TOPTICA Photonics. “With the enhanced TopMode 405, we provide OEM partners with a stable and reliable excitation source designed for continuous operation.”

In Raman spectroscopy, the excitation laser directly impacts system accuracy and reproducibility. The TopMode 405 addresses these requirements with a compact, integration-ready design and enhanced robustness, supporting stable operation in continuous and high-throughput industrial settings.

Operating at 405 nm with output powers of up to 100 mW, the laser enables strong Raman signal generation while remaining fully compatible with standard silicon detectors. Its single-frequency emission and narrow linewidth ensure high spectral resolution and measurement repeatability across inline applications.

Core Positioning and Key Differentiators

The enhanced TopMode 405 is positioned as an industrial-grade OEM Raman laser platform that combines: 

• Single-frequency 405 nm emission
• Excellent wavelength and power stability
• Up to 100 mW output power
• Industrial-grade robustness 

With the enhanced TopMode 405, TOPTICA Photonics strengthens its portfolio of single-frequency lasers for industrial spectroscopy, supporting OEM manufacturers in building scalable, high-precision Raman systems.

As quantum applications transition from research labs to real-world deployment, demand is growing for laser systems that combine highest frequency stability with operational robustness. The CLS addresses this need by integrating narrow-linewidth external cavity diode laser technology with a highly stable optical reference.

“Our focus was to combine ultimate frequency stability with a system design that is robust and practical to operate. This enables users to benefit from ultra-stable laser performance without the complexity and maintenance efforts of laboratory setups,” says Dr. Florian Schäfer, Development Engineer Laser Reference at TOPTICA.

The system achieves frequency instabilities at the 10⁻¹⁵ level and phase noise levels down to -90 dBc/Hz. It is engineered to minimize environmental influences such as temperature fluctuations, vibrations, and optical power variations. This ensures stable operation over extended periods, even outside controlled laboratory environments.

Available in both tabletop and rack-mounted configurations and across a wide wavelength range, the CLS can be flexibly integrated into applications including optical atomic clocks, quantum computing, quantum simulation, and optical frequency combs.

Further details are presented in the white paper “Design, Implementation, and Performance of the TOPTICA Clock Laser System” by Dr. Florian Schäfer, Dewni Pathegama, and Dr. Filippo Bregolin, describing the system design, stabilization approach, and performance validation of the CLS.

From Optical Stability to Microwave Precision

Unlike conventional electronic microwave sources, the X-MMS derives its signal from an extremely stable laser using optical frequency division. This approach leverages the superior performance of optical resonators to generate a 9.6 GHz microwave signal with exceptionally low phase noise and high frequency stability. 

Benchmark Performance in Phase Noise and Stability

The system achieves a single-sideband phase noise of –102 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset and reaches below -166 dBc/Hz at higher offset frequencies, placing it among the top-performing microwave sources reported to date. Its fractional frequency instability is as low as 2.0 x 10^-15 at 1 second averaging time. 
Such performance is critical for demanding applications including atomic clocks, radio astronomy, frequency metrology, and emerging quantum technologies. These fields rely on ultra-stable microwave signals to ensure precise timing, synchronization, and measurement accuracy.

Broader impact of Quantum Technologies“

This is an exciting time to see critical advances in quantum technologies benefiting other fields.” – says Dr. Mikhail Volkov, Director of Research in Quantum Technologies at TOPTICA. “Built entirely from industry-grade TOPTICA components developed for quantum applications, our commercial X-band microwave solution brings metrology-grade performance to an industry-ready platform. See how our phase-noise compares with the world’s best results in the accompanying white paper – you may do a double take.”

Core Technology: Difference Frequency Comb

At the core of the system is TOPTICA’s Difference Frequency Comb technology, which enables intrinsically offset-free operation and contributes to both low noise and long-term stability. The platform can also be referenced to external standards such as atomic clocks or GPS signals, ensuring SI-traceable measurements for real-world applications. 

Bringing Ultra-Pure Microwaves to Applications

Metrology-grade local-oscillator performance opens new possibilities in advanced test and measurement and in the development of compact, high-end RF systems. X-MMS enables faster, more accurate measurements and accelerates high-end RF development.  
This development reflects a broader trend in photonics, where advances in laser and frequency comb technologies are enabling the transfer of scientific breakthroughs into practical tools for industry.

The full technical background and performance data are outlined in a recently published white paper "X-BAND METROLOGICAL MICROWAVE SOLUTION" by Sebastian Müller, Dr. Mikhail Volkov, and Dr. Thomas Puppe.

Built for labs and OEMs alike

Under the theme “Lasers for Analytics”, TOPTICA introduces systems designed to be easy to integrate, robust, and long-lived, supported by a worldwide service concept.

At booth A1.301, visitors can discover solutions tailored to modern analytical environments, where reliability and reproducibility are essential.

Enabling key analytical applications

TOPTICA’s portfolio addresses a wide range of use cases:

• Raman analysis with compact, high-power lasers for repeatable high-resolution measurements
•  Fluorescence microscopy with stable multi-line systems enabling increased contrast and reduced cross-talk
• Spectroscopy with wide wavelength tunability, including access to hard-to-reach infrared regions
• Layer inspection using terahertz systems for high-speed measurements and deep material probing

All solutions are engineered to reduce system complexity while maintaining high performance for both laboratory users and OEM partners.

Meet us in Munich
Booth A1.301, Messe München

Discover more, get your free guest ticket and plan your visit: www.toptica.com/analytica-2026

The award honors the development of TOPTICLOCK, a commercial single-ion optical clock that combines ultra-low-noise photonics with advanced quantum technology to achieve unprecedented accuracy in an industrial form factor. Within just three years, the TOPTICLOCK Team developed and qualified the commercial optical quantum clock and successfully commissioned it at a lead customer site.

From Fundamental Metrology to Industrial Reality

The TOPTICLOCK initiative originated from a close collaboration between TOPTICA Photonics and Germany’s national metrology institute PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt). Building on the joint research project opticlock, coordinated by TOPTICA and PTB, the team transferred key know-how from a research demonstrator into an industrial optical frequency standard. The TOPTICLOCK Team consists of TOPTICA engineers and scientists with deep expertise in quantum technologies, lasers, photonics, and software, and PTB optical clock expert Dr. Nils Huntemann as scientific advisor. This close collaboration across institutional and disciplinary boundaries was a decisive factor in achieving the project’s ambitious goals.

Engineering Excellence at the Quantum Limit

Optical quantum clocks provide unprecedented stability and accuracy. At their heart are a local oscillator, a quantum reference, and an optical frequency comb – each requiring extreme stability and control. In TOPTICLOCK, the local oscillator is a diode laser system whose linewidth is reduced to below the Hz-level by translating the passive length stability of an optical cavity into frequency stability of the laser. For long-term accuracy, the clock laser is disciplined to the electric quadrupole transition of a single laser-cooled ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ ion at 436 nm. Four additional frequency-stabilized laser systems spanning wavelengths from 370 nm to 935 nm are required to prepare, cool, and read out the ion’s quantum state. All optical, electronic, thermal, and magnetic influences on the ion must be precisely controlled or characterized to fully exploit the potential of quantum-state-based timekeeping. What makes TOPTICLOCK exceptional is not only its performance – with relative stability and accuracy on the order of 10⁻¹⁷, outperforming thermal-vapor-based optical clocks by around two orders of magnitude – but the fact that this performance is achieved in a transportable, industrial 19-inch rack system. All subsystems are integrated into two racks, combining optics, electronics, vacuum technology, control hardware, and comprehensive software into a reliable system designed.“The engineering challenges to transfer a laboratory setup that can only be operated by experienced scientists into an industrial footprint – while maintaining world-class performance – are enormous,” said Dr. Stephan Ritter, Senior Director Quantum Technology Solutions, TOPTICA Photonics.

Impact Beyond the Lab

This level of performance in an industrial form factor marks an important milestone on the path toward a future redefinition of the SI second based on optical clocks. Beyond fundamental metrology, TOPTICLOCK opens new possibilities for applications such as advanced time scales and time services, network synchronization, ground references for satellite navigation, and high-precision fundamental research. “The Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award recognizes exactly what made this project successful – a truly collaborative team that mastered extraordinary engineering challenges to bring quantum-enabled performance into the real world,” said Dr. Jürgen Stuhler, Vice President Quantum Technologies of TOPTICA Photonics. “This award underlines TOPTICA’s commitment to translating pioneering photonics and quantum research into technologies that create real impact.” With the TOPTICLOCK project, TOPTICA once again demonstrates how close cooperation between research institutions and industry, combined with strong systems engineering and team excellence, can turn visionary science into commercial solutions.

About the Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award

The award was established in 1989 to recognize the achievements of optical engineers. It was renamed in 2007 to honor Paul Forman’s work in raising the visibility of optical engineering. 
In 2012, the scope was updated making team nominations mandatory. Previously, the award could be presented to an individual or team. 
OPTICA (formerly The Optical Society, OSA) is the professional association for light science and technology that presents the Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award.

About TOPTICA Photonics SE

TOPTICA has been developing, manufacturing, and marketing high-end laser systems for scientific and industrial applications for over 25 years. Its product portfolio includes tunable diode lasers, ultrafast fiber lasers, terahertz systems, and optical frequency combs. TOPTICA employs over 600 people worldwide across seven business units and achieved a consolidated group revenue of more than €140 million.

Learn more about TOPTICLOCK: www.toptica.com/TOPTICLOCK

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TOPTICLOCK is the first fully integrated, commercially available optical quantum clock based on a laser-cooled, single trapped Yb⁺ ion. Housed in two robust 19” industrial rack units, it delivers a new benchmark in transportable frequency standards with relative frequency instability and accuracy at the 10⁻¹⁷ level. Designed for remote operation, it provides a stable optical frequency standard output at 871 nm, enabling seamless integration with optical frequency combs to realize rf or pulse per second outputs for timekeeping and advanced synchronization. 

“The transition from scientific instruments to be operated by expert personnel in academic laboratories into an industrial product for real-world environments has long been a goal for optical quantum clocks,” said Dr. Wilhelm Kaenders, President and founder of TOPTICA. “With TOPTICLOCK, we are closing this gap – making the world’s most precise commercial time and frequency reference. We have already deployed first units at customer sites for high-end applications in navigation, metrology, and fundamental science.” 

“We thank all people at TOPTICA who have been contributing to master this challenging endeavor and are grateful for the of the ongoing support from German national metrology institute PTB. A special thanks goes to our first lead customer for his trust in our capabilities to build the first version of TOPTICLOCK and the German ministry of science, technology and space (formerly named ministry for education and research) and the collaboration partners for funding and working on a predecessor research project “opticlock”, in which a first demonstrator of a single Yb⁺ ion clock was successfully realized.” adds Dr. Jürgen Stuhler, Vice President of Quantum Technologies and former coordinator of opticlock.      

Unlike microwave-based cesium or optical rubidium clocks, TOPTICLOCK significantly outperforms hydrogen masers and other commercial frequency standards in both stability and accuracy. It was developed as a turnkey solution for users who demand cutting-edge performance without needing deep quantum technology expertise – combining push-button operation, auto-calibration, and user-definable sequences. 

Applications include:

• National and international time services (UTC) and contributions to TAI (Temps Atomique International)
• Network synchronization and long-term holdover in GNSS-denied environments (Global Navigation Satellite System)
• Satellite navigation and space-based infrastructure
• Fundamental quantum metrology and highest precision physics 

TOPTICLOCK marks TOPTICA’s first complete commercial quantum technology solution, building on the company’s 30 years of expertise in narrow linewidth laser systems and optical frequency control. 

About TOPTICA
TOPTICA has been developing, manufacturing, and marketing high-end laser systems for scientific and industrial applications for over 25 years. Its product portfolio includes tunable diode lasers, ultrafast fiber lasers, terahertz systems, and optical frequency combs. TOPTICA employs over 600 people worldwide across seven business units and achieved a consolidated group revenue of more than €140 million. Learn more about TOPTICLOCK: www.toptica.com/TOPTICLOCK

EAGLEYARD’s CEO Claus Heitmann emphasizes: “We are proud to contribute our expertise and innovative products to this extraordinary mission with NASA demonstrating the power of collaboration and trust across borders. As a Berlin-based high-tech company, it is a special honor to be part of this visionary partnership and to drive excellence in the most demanding space applications.”

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be the first space-based observatory dedicated to studying gravitational waves. Led by ESA, LISA is made possible by a collaboration between ESA, its member states, NASA, and an international consortium of scientists. Scheduled for launch in 2035, LISA will consist of three spacecrafts flying in a giant equilateral triangle, each 2.5 million kilometers apart, trailing or leading Earth in orbit around the Sun. LISA operates as a heterodyne laser interferometer, detecting infinitesimal changes in distance – on the order of picometers – caused by passing gravitational waves. Each spacecraft carries two test masses and a drag-free control system to ensure near-perfect free-fall conditions. NASA’s contribution of the Laser System aboard each satellite includes four laser heads (LH), a Frequency Reference System (FRS) based on an ultra-stable optical cavity (figure 1), and four power monitor (PMON) detector assemblies that reside on two optical bench assemblies (OBA) built by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre. In total, the constellation hosts 12 laser heads, with six active at any time. One laser is frequency-locked to the FRS, while the remaining lasers are offset phase-locked and function as transponders, implementing bi-directional optical links to maintain precise interferometry over millions of kilometers.

LISA will be able to detect gravitational waves from events involving supermassive black holes, measuring relative displacements smaller than the diameter of an atomic nucleus—a performance level that pushes the boundaries of modern engineering.

For the groundbreaking LISA mission, TOPTICA EAGLEYARD provides a key enabler of the system’s optical performance: the RWL 808 nm laser diode, delivered as a custom Chip-on-Carrier (CoC). This high-efficiency pump laser plays a crucial role in the µNPRO (micro Non-Planar Ring Oscillator) – the main oscillator at the heart of each spacecraft’s laser system. Designed by NASA GSFC around a neodymium-doped YAG crystal with a space compatible miniaturized ring-resonator architecture, the µNPRO converts the 808 nm pump light into a highly stable 1064 nm single-frequency output (see figure 2).

Dr. Anthony Yu, NASA Goddard’s lead for the LISA Laser System explains “As a U.S. federal agency, NASA is always looking within the nation’s borders before turning to international suppliers. The search for a suitable laser diode for the µNPRO was no exception. That’s where EAGLEYARD came into play. For the LISA program, we couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Having already built a relationship of trust through previous projects, we knew they could deliver on their promises – and they did. It’s a rare and powerful moment when such a unique product as the RWL 808 nm doesn’t just get built, but even tested by a company you trust 100%. A perfect match – and a collaboration we’re proud to deepen.”

The RWL 808 nm stands out not only for its compact format and beam quality but also for its ability to deliver reliable, long-term performance under space conditions. Its integration into the µNPRO highlights its critical function: enabling precision interferometry across millions of kilometers.

To meet the mission’s thermal and reliability demands, the carrier is providing superior heat conductivity. LISA operates the lasers in derated mode at 400 mW – half their commercial capacity – to leave headroom for so-called hot-sparing redundancy requirements meeting the mission lifetime goal of >10 years. Despite the derating, the RWL 808 nm still delivers impressively stable singlemode power with excellent beam properties.

Following a strict quality policy for space applications, where reliability must be verified for each individual wafer in use, the laser diode has to undergo full qualification, including 10,000-hour aging tests on custom-built equipment, as long-term performance under the harsh conditions of space requires more than standard procedures.

To meet such demanding requirements, e.g. achieving high test temperatures of more than 70°C under well controlled heat dissipation management, EAGLEYARD developed a fully customized in-house aging test platform. Commercially available standard test systems proved insufficient for the high thermal load and power levels of the RWL 808 nm laser diodes, running continuously for a year or even longer. Recognizing the need for a more robust, accurate and durable solution, EAGLEYARD launched a multi-million strategic investment initiative in 2020 to design proprietary lifetime test equipment which is in full service now.

The result is the "LISA Laser Aging Test Tower"—a highly specialized test system capable of running 10,000-hour aging tests on up to 40 individual laser devices, each with precise, software-controlled monitoring of six critical parameters, including optical power and heat sink temperature. Complementing the system is a custom-developed test rail, optimized for accuracy through 4-wire connections and high-end materials (figure 3). This system was designed and built by EAGLEYARD, and successfully validated together with NASA, underlining EAGLEYARD’s deep competence not only in photonics, but also in advanced test engineering.

The project has now entered Phase 2, with the upcoming production of Flight Modules. Lasers are selected from multiple wafers, optimized individually, and representative units subjected once again to extensive 10,000-hour aging tests in the LISA Laser Aging Test Tower. At the end, more than 100 of Flight Model CoCs that are suitable for the mission will be delivered for further laser system integration and testing.

“Working jointly together for many years in that program, we are glad to state that we have passed an ordinary supplier-customer relationship by far, it has been outpassed by two extraordinary engineering teams collaborating complementary and thriving laser diode performance and reliability beyond its limits.” summarizes Michael Kneier, VP Sales & Marketing at EAGLEYARD. With this approach, EAGLEYARD demonstrates its role not only as a high-end laser diode supplier, but as a long-term engineering partner committed to meeting the highest standards of space-grade quality and reliability. 

About TOPTICA EAGLEYARD:

TOPTICA EAGLEYARD is based in Berlin, Germany, and is a leading supplier of high-power laser diodes with wavelengths ranging from 630 nm to 1120 nm. TOPTICA EAGLEYARD’s products are used around the globe and combine maximum performance and unparalleled service life with excellent beam quality, making them especially suitable for industrial, medical, scientific, and space applications. TOPTICA EAGLEYARD was founded in 2002 as a spin-off from the renowned Ferdinand-Braun-Institute (FBH). Today, it plays a leading role in its sector thanks to its exceptional GaAs-based laser diode portfolio. By properly and professionally applying its expertise, experience and know-how, it has developed research results into marketable products that are sold worldwide, either directly or through partners. TOPTICA EAGLEYARD has been part of the TOPTICA Group since 2013. Find out more at www.toptica-eagleyard.com.