⚛ Quantum Optics Platform — PhotonQ v1.0

PhotonQ

True quantum randomness from photon detection. A consumer-grade double-slit apparatus for your desk — generating real QRNG entropy, not pseudo-random math.

1,847
Backers
$1M
Goal
737 Kbps
QRNG entropy rate
650nm
Photon wavelength
Hardware

The PhotonQ platform

A precision-machined optical block with a 650 nm laser, SiPM detector array, custom FPGA signal processing — all in a device the size of a book.

PhotonQ PCB
True QRNG INFO →
Photon inter-arrival Poisson timing — the exact delay between SiPM events is quantum shot noise. Every bit is physically non-deterministic and impossible to predict.
🔐
Cryptographic key generation INFO →
NIST SP 800-90B compliant entropy source. Feed directly into TLS, SSH, GPG or any CSPRNG requiring a hardware seed.
Blockchain & Web3 entropy INFO →
Unmanipulable randomness for smart-contract seeds, NFT trait generation and DeFi lotteries without oracle trust assumptions.
🔬
Double-slit physics demo INFO →
Watch wave-particle duality in real time. Enable the observer — interference collapses. Plus quantum eraser, HOM dip, Bell/CHSH, HBT antibunching, and delayed choice experiments. Disable it — fringes rebuild.
The PhotonQ Stack — from single photon to host application

The PhotonQ Stack — from single photon to host application. Open hardware / KiCad sources / JLCPCB-ready.

Fundraising Campaign

Choose your tier

Reserve your spot — campaign launching soon. Early supporters get exclusive pricing and first units. All tiers include Wi-Fi dashboard, REST API, and full firmware access. SKUs end in .98.

Base Tiers
Explorer Edition
Rev 4.0 · 2×2 optical block · 15mm optics
$298.98
  • ⚛ 2-laser / 2-detector (650 nm)
  • ⚛ 4 experiments + 3 guided labs
  • ⚛ QRNG, photon counting, Malus's law, MZI
  • ⚛ Crypto Lab + 4 quantum games (Don't Look, dice, casino, coin flip)
  • ⚛ Wi-Fi dashboard + REST API
  • ⚛ Stickers + quickstart card
FOUNDERS
Founders Edition
Rev 6.0 · 3×3 optical block · 10mm optics
$698.98
  • ⚛ 4-laser / 4-detector (650 nm)
  • ⚛ 8 experiments + 5 guided labs
  • ⚛ + fringe scan, Bell/CHSH, HBT, double-slit observer
  • ⚛ Crypto Lab + 4 quantum games (Don't Look, dice, casino, coin flip)
  • ⚛ FPGA 6.67 ns timestamping · Bloch sphere viz
  • ⚛ Bloch enamel pin + lab notebook
FOUNDERS+
Founders+ Edition
Rev 6.0 · 3×3 optical block · 10mm optics
$998.98
  • ⚛ 8-laser / 8-detector (650 nm)
  • ⚛ 12 experiments + 8 guided labs
  • ⚛ + quantum eraser, HOM dip, entanglement, delayed choice
  • ⚛ Crypto Lab + 6 quantum games (+ Bell challenge, BB84 QKD)
  • ⚛ Challenge coin + T-shirt + firmware credit
  • ⚛ Private Discord + Day 1 Backer numbered sticker
Upgrade Add-ons — for existing owners
Bell Inequality Add-on
Existing owner upgrade
$348.98

Adds the Bell inequality test (CHSH, Nobel 2022) and entanglement experiments to your existing Founders or Founders+ device. Einstein stickers included.

SPDC Research Add-on
Existing owner upgrade
$598.98

Adds 405 nm pump lasers, BBO crystal, and 810 nm waveplates — enabling spontaneous parametric down-conversion for heralded single-photon generation. Certificate + optics case included.

Bundles — new buyer single-PO savings
SAVE $48
Founders+ Bell Bundle
Founders+ + Bell Add-on · new buyer
$1,298.98

Founders+ Edition plus the Bell inequality upgrade in a single order — saving $48 vs purchasing separately.

SAVE $98
Founders+ SPDC Bundle
Founders+ + SPDC Research · new buyer
$1,498.98

Founders+ Edition plus the full SPDC Research upgrade in a single order — saving $98 vs purchasing separately.

Applications

Why quantum randomness matters

Pseudo-random number generators are algorithmic — given the seed, every output is predictable. PhotonQ gives you entropy that no algorithm can replicate.

True QRNG
Harness photon detection statistics — fundamentally random at the quantum level. No seeds, no algorithms, no patterns. Raw entropy from physics.
Read more →
Cryptography
Generate private keys, nonces and session tokens with entropy no adversary can model. NIST-compliant, post-quantum ready.
Read more →
Blockchain & Web3
On-chain randomness without VRF oracle trust assumptions. Quantum-seeded commits for lotteries, NFT mints and DeFi protocols.
Read more →
Scientific simulation
Monte Carlo methods, quantum chemistry sampling and stochastic modelling with statistically pure entropy for reproducibility-free experiments.
Read more →
Gaming & iGaming
Provably fair outcomes for competitive games, online casinos and metaverse asset generation — auditable, quantum-backed randomness.
Read more →
AI / ML training
Weight initialization, data shuffling and dropout masks seeded by true entropy — escaping local minima that pseudo-RNG can trap.
Read more →
Experiments

12 quantum experiments

Click any experiment to see the quantum circuit, optical schematic, equations, and PhotonQ cavity setup.

1. Quantum RNG
True random bits from photon path decisions at a 50:50 beamsplitter.
Explorer Details →
2. Photon Counting
Measure single-photon arrival rates and verify Poisson statistics.
Explorer Details →
3. Malus's Law
Verify the cos²θ polarization law with a half-wave plate and analyser.
Explorer Details →
4. Mach-Zehnder Interferometer
Two-path interferometer showing wave superposition and phase control.
Explorer Details →
5. Motorised Fringe Scan
Automated piezo sweep of MZI phase for high-resolution fringe measurement.
Founders Details →
6. Bell Inequality / CHSH
Test quantum entanglement — violate the classical CHSH bound of S≤2.
Founders Details →
7. HBT g²(τ) Antibunching
Measure photon bunching/antibunching via the Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect.
Founders Details →
8. Double-Slit Observer Effect
Fire single photons through a double slit — observe interference collapse when watched.
Founders Details →
9. Quantum Eraser
Erase which-path information after detection — recover interference retroactively.
Founders+ Details →
10. Hong-Ou-Mandel Dip
Two indistinguishable photons enter a beamsplitter — they always exit together.
Founders+ Details →
11. Entanglement Visibility
Sweep analyser angle on entangled pairs — measure the sinusoidal visibility curve.
Founders+ Details →
12. Delayed Choice
Decide to observe wave or particle after the photon has already passed the slit.
Founders+ Details →
Try It Live

PhotonQ Demo

Simulation mode — real physics, simulated photons
Connect a PhotonQ device for live hardware data

Full instrument dashboard

The complete PhotonQ web application — identical to what runs on the real hardware. Six tabs of quantum instruments, experiments, guided labs, games, and a full post-quantum cryptography lab. Runs in simulation mode with Poisson-distributed photon statistics when no device is connected.

Dashboard — live photon rate, coincidence counter, entropy meter
12 Experiments — QRNG, Bell/CHSH, HBT, HOM, double-slit, delayed choice
8 Guided Labs — step-by-step quantum optics curriculum
Crypto Lab — ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SPHINCS+, PLONK, NIST SP 800-22
6 Quantum Games — Don't Look, dice, casino, coin flip, Bell, BB84
Bloch Sphere — real-time state visualisation
Tabs in the demo
About

Spin State Labs

PhotonQ Platform
Quantum Photonics · Consumer-grade

A precision-machined optical block with a 650 nm laser, SiPM detector array, and custom FPGA signal processing — all in a device the size of a book.

🏢
Spin State Labs
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

A quantum optics startup bringing consumer-grade photonics hardware to hobbyists, developers and researchers at a fraction of conventional instrument costs.

🎯
The Mission
Democratise quantum hardware

True quantum randomness from photon detection, double-slit experiments, Bell inequality tests, and Hanbury Brown–Twiss effects — available to everyone.

🔗
Links
Open source · Community
GitHub — SpinStateLabs/PhotonQ spinstatelabs.ca
What's Next

In the Pipeline

PhotonQ is the first instrument in the Spin State Labs platform. These are the quantum sensing devices in active development — each building on the same photonic hardware foundation.

QuantumTick
Photonic Quantum Clock
A rubidium laser atomic clock you build yourself — 780 nm laser locked to a quantum transition, the same physics that powers GPS timing.
Coming Soon Details →
🧲
QuantumField
Quantum Magnetometer
Optically pumped atomic spins detect magnetic fields at femtotesla sensitivity — no cryogenics, room temperature, a million times more sensitive than Hall sensors.
R&D Phase Details →
🧭
QuantumNav
Quantum Compass & Navigation
GPS-free inertial navigation using cold-atom matter-wave interferometry — drift rates orders of magnitude below MEMS, for submarine and GPS-denied environments.
Concept Details →
🔬
Quantum Squeezer Module
PhotonQ Upgrade Add-on
A drop-in upgrade module that adds squeezed light generation to the PhotonQ platform — reducing quantum noise below the shot-noise limit for enhanced precision measurement.
R&D Phase Details →
📡
PhotonQ Online
Live Quantum Entropy Stream
Pure quantum entropy streaming live to the web. Every photon detection event streams in real time — your private cloud source of entropy, one photon at a time.
Coming Soon Details →
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Application
True QRNG
Photon inter-arrival Poisson timing — the exact delay between SiPM events is quantum shot noise. Every bit is physically non-deterministic and impossible to predict. The Von Neumann extractor removes residual bias, producing ~737 Kbps of raw entropy that passes the full NIST SP 800-22 randomness test suite.
737 Kbps
Entropy rate
7.99
Bits/byte entropy
NIST
SP 800-22 pass
Application
Cryptographic Key Generation
NIST SP 800-90B compliant entropy source. Feed directly into TLS, SSH, GPG or any CSPRNG requiring a hardware seed. The Crypto Lab includes live implementations of AES-256, RSA, Ed25519, ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber), ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium), SPHINCS+, PLONK ZK-SNARKs, and Bitcoin/Ethereum wallet generation.
ML-KEM
Post-quantum KEM
ML-DSA
Lattice signatures
SPHINCS+
Hash-based sigs
Application
Blockchain & Web3 Entropy
Unmanipulable randomness for smart-contract seeds, NFT trait generation and DeFi lotteries without oracle trust assumptions. PhotonQ's hardware entropy eliminates the need for on-chain VRF or trusted third-party randomness beacons — every bit is verifiably quantum.
BIP-39
Mnemonic seeds
PLONK
ZK-SNARK proofs
BN254
Elliptic curve
Application
Double-Slit Physics Demo
Watch wave-particle duality in real time. Enable the observer — interference collapses. Disable it — fringes rebuild. Plus quantum eraser, Hong-Ou-Mandel dip, Bell/CHSH, HBT antibunching, and delayed choice experiments. All 12 experiments run live on real photonic hardware.
12
Experiments
8
Guided labs
Real
Hardware photons
Application
Quantum Science Education
A complete quantum optics teaching lab at a fraction of university instrument costs. Eight guided labs take students from basic photon counting through Bell inequality and Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, with live data, Bloch sphere visualisation, and auto-graded results.
8
Guided labs
edu.js
Curriculum system
Bloch
Sphere visualiser
Application
Quantum Gaming
True random quantum games powered by real photon events. Don't Look demonstrates the observer effect with multiplayer quantum physics. Plus quantum dice, coin flip, casino, Bell challenge, and BB84 QKD games — each using hardware QRNG for provably fair outcomes.
6
Quantum games
QRNG
Hardware random
Fair
Provably random
Application
AI & Machine Learning
Quantum-seeded randomness for neural network initialisation, Monte Carlo sampling, and stochastic gradient perturbation. Hardware entropy eliminates pseudo-random correlation artefacts that can bias training — especially critical for small-sample research and reproducibility-sensitive experiments.
Seeds
NN initialisation
MCMC
Monte Carlo
API
REST + WebSocket
Application
Physics Explained
PhotonQ's double-slit experiment fires single photons through two slits and detects them one at a time. The interference pattern that builds up photon-by-photon proves each photon travels both paths simultaneously — until you observe which path it took, collapsing the superposition. This is the foundation of quantum mechanics.
I(y)
cos²·sinc² pattern
650nm
Photon wavelength
Real
Single photons
Experiment 1 · Explorer
Quantum RNG
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|0⟩ H 1/√2(|0⟩+|1⟩) M 0 or 1 (50/50)
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
650nm LASER ND BS 50:50 SiPM A SiPM B TIA ADCMP FPGA 64-bit, 6.67ns Δt → VN → ESP32
C) EQUATIONS
P(Det A) = P(Det B) = ½ (Born rule at 50:50 BS)
Δt = tₙ − tₙ₋₁ (Poisson inter-arrival times)
bit = LSB(Δt) → Von Neumann debiaser → unbiased output
H∞ = −log₂(max pᵢ) ≥ 7.99 bits/byte (NIST SP 800-90B)
D) EXPLANATION
A 650 nm laser is attenuated to single-photon levels and hits a 50:50 beamsplitter. Each photon's path — transmitted or reflected — is a fundamentally random quantum event. Two SiPM detectors register arrival times at 6.67 ns FPGA resolution. Inter-arrival time differences are Poisson-distributed and inherently unpredictable. A Von Neumann extractor removes bias, yielding ~737 Kbps that passes NIST SP 800-22.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) 650nm (1,2) ND (1,3) BS (2,1) (2,2) SiPM B (2,3) SiPM A (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 2 · Explorer
Photon Counting
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|ψ⟩ M N(t) counter rate = N/Δt
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
650nm LASER ND single γ SiPM TIA FPGA counter N(t) histogram
C) EQUATIONS
P(n) = (μⁿ e⁻μ) / n! (Poisson distribution)
μ = ⟨n⟩ = laser_rate × Δt × η_detector
Var(n) = μ (shot noise: variance equals mean)
SNR = √μ (shot-noise-limited detection)
D) EXPLANATION
A 650 nm laser is attenuated until individual photon arrivals are resolvable by the SiPM detector. The FPGA counts detection events in fixed time bins, building a histogram of photon counts per interval. The distribution matches the Poisson statistics predicted by quantum mechanics — variance equals mean — confirming the quantised nature of light and establishing the shot-noise floor.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) 650nm (1,2) ND (1,3) SiPM (2,1) (2,2) (2,3) (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 3 · Explorer
Malus's Law
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|H⟩ Rz(θ) HWP M I(θ) = I₀ cos²θ
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
LASER POL HWP(θ) ANAL SiPM FPGA I(θ)
C) EQUATIONS
I(θ) = I₀ cos²(θ) (Malus's law)
HWP rotation θ → polarization rotation 2θ
Transmission T = cos²(α − β), α=analyser, β=HWP output
Visibility V = (I_max − I_min) / (I_max + I_min)
D) EXPLANATION
A polarised laser beam passes through a half-wave plate (HWP) mounted on a rotation stage, then through a fixed analyser polariser. As the HWP rotates by angle θ, the polarization rotates by 2θ, and the transmitted intensity follows Malus's law: I = I₀cos²θ. The SiPM measures count rate vs angle, producing the characteristic cos² curve — a direct verification of quantum projection measurement.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) LASER (1,2) HWP (1,3) POL (2,1) (2,2) (2,3) SiPM (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 4 · Explorer
Mach-Zehnder Interferometer
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|0⟩ H P(φ) phase H M
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
LASER BS1 arm 1 arm 2 (φ) φ BS2 SiPM A SiPM B FPGA
C) EQUATIONS
P(Det A) = cos²(φ/2) (constructive/destructive)
P(Det B) = sin²(φ/2) (complementary output)
φ = 2πnL/λ (optical path difference)
Visibility V = (N_max−N_min)/(N_max+N_min)
D) EXPLANATION
A photon enters beamsplitter BS1 and travels both arms simultaneously (quantum superposition). A phase shifter φ in one arm changes the relative path length. At BS2, the two amplitudes interfere — constructively at one output and destructively at the other. Scanning φ produces sinusoidal fringes in the SiPM count rates, demonstrating single-photon wave interference.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) LASER (1,2) BS1 (1,3) SiPM A (2,1) mirror (2,2) φ (2,3) BS2 (3,1) (3,2) (3,3) SiPM B
Experiment 5 · Founders
Motorised Fringe Scan
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|0⟩ H φ(t) piezo sweep H M
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
LASER MZI Mach-Zehnder + piezo on arm 2 PIEZO SiPM FPGA DAC→piezo scan I(φ)
C) EQUATIONS
φ(t) = 2πΔL(t)/λ (piezo sets ΔL continuously)
I(φ) = I₀[1 + V·cos(φ)] / 2
V = fringe visibility (ideally 1.0 for coherent source)
DAC resolution: 12-bit → sub-nm path control
D) EXPLANATION
This is an automated version of the MZI experiment. A piezo actuator driven by the DAC sweeps one arm's path length continuously, while the FPGA records count rate vs piezo voltage. The result is a high-resolution fringe pattern — the sinusoidal I(φ) curve — measured automatically over many periods. Fringe visibility V quantifies the coherence of the source.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) LASER (1,2) BS1 (1,3) SiPM (2,1) M (2,2) PIEZO (2,3) BS2 (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 6 · Founders
Bell Inequality / CHSH
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|0⟩ |0⟩ SPDC |Φ⁺⟩ R(a) R(b) M M S = 2√2 ≈ 2.83
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
405nm pump BBO signal 810nm idler 810nm a b HWP SiPM A SiPM B FPGA coincidence S param S > 2 ✓
C) EQUATIONS
E(a,b) = [N(++) + N(−−) − N(+−) − N(−+)] / N_total
S = |E(a,b) − E(a,b') + E(a',b) + E(a',b')|
Classical bound: S ≤ 2 (Bell-CHSH inequality)
QM prediction: S = 2√2 ≈ 2.83 (Nobel Prize 2022)
D) EXPLANATION
A 405 nm pump laser hits a BBO crystal via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC), producing entangled 810 nm photon pairs. Each photon passes through a half-wave plate at independently chosen angles (a,b), then is detected by a SiPM. The FPGA records coincidences at four angle settings to compute the CHSH S parameter. S > 2 violates the classical bound — proving quantum entanglement is real, as recognised by the 2022 Nobel Prize.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) 405nm (1,2) BBO (1,3) (2,1) HWP a (2,2) (2,3) HWP b (3,1) SiPM A (3,2) (3,3) SiPM B
Experiment 7 · Founders
HBT g²(τ) Antibunching
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|ψ⟩ BS 50:50 M M g²(0) < 1 = quantum antibunching
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
SOURCE BS SiPM A SiPM B FPGA coinc. hist. g²(τ) histogram
C) EQUATIONS
g²(τ) = ⟨I(t)I(t+τ)⟩ / ⟨I(t)⟩²
g²(0) = 1 → coherent (laser, Poisson)
g²(0) > 1 → bunched (thermal/chaotic)
g²(0) < 1 → antibunched (single photon!)
D) EXPLANATION
The Hanbury Brown-Twiss experiment splits a light source at a 50:50 beamsplitter and cross-correlates the detection times of the two outputs. The FPGA builds a histogram of time delays τ between coincident detections. For a single-photon source, g²(0) < 1 — antibunching — because one photon cannot trigger both detectors simultaneously. This is the definitive test that a source is truly quantum.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) SOURCE (1,2) BS (1,3) SiPM A (2,1) (2,2) SiPM B (2,3) (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 8 · Founders
Double-Slit Observer Effect
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|ψ⟩ H slit Observer ON / OFF M OFF → fringes ON → 2 bands
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
LASER double slit screen OBSERVER which-path detector SiPM FPGA pattern position
C) EQUATIONS
I(y) = cos²(πd·sinθ/λ) · sinc²(πa·sinθ/λ)
d = slit separation, a = slit width, λ = wavelength
Observer OFF → coherent sum → interference fringes
Observer ON → which-path info → pattern collapses to 2 bands
D) EXPLANATION
Single photons pass through a double slit and build up an interference pattern one detection at a time — proving each photon travels both paths simultaneously. When the which-path observer is enabled, it marks which slit the photon used, collapsing the superposition and destroying the interference fringes. This is the most iconic demonstration of wave-particle duality and the measurement problem.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) LASER (1,2) D-SLIT (1,3) SiPM (2,1) (2,2) OBS (2,3) (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 9 · Founders+
Quantum Eraser
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
SPDC entangle MARK ERASE M M
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
PUMP BBO signal idler POL mark path ERASE 45° pol SiPM A SiPM B FPGA coinc. fringes!
C) EQUATIONS
With marker: which-path info → no interference
With eraser (45° pol): path info destroyed → fringes return
P(coincidence) ∝ 1 + V·cos(φ) when erased
Complementarity: information vs interference are mutually exclusive
D) EXPLANATION
Entangled photon pairs from SPDC are split — the signal photon gets which-path marking via a polariser, destroying its interference pattern. But when a 45° eraser polariser is placed in the idler arm, it destroys the which-path information, and coincidence-filtered fringes reappear in the signal. The erasure can happen after the signal is already detected — demonstrating that quantum information and interference are complementary.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) PUMP (1,2) BBO (1,3) POL (2,1) SiPM B (2,2) (2,3) SiPM A (3,1) ERASE (3,2) (3,3)
Experiment 10 · Founders+
Hong-Ou-Mandel Dip
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
SPDC |1,1⟩ Delay BS 50:50 M M
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
PUMP BBO τ delay BS SiPM A SiPM B FPGA coinc(τ) coinc → 0 at τ=0 (dip)
C) EQUATIONS
|1,1⟩ → BS → (|2,0⟩ + |0,2⟩)/√2 (both photons exit same port)
Coincidence rate R(τ) dips to zero at τ=0
Dip width Δτ ∝ 1/Δω (inverse bandwidth of photons)
HOM visibility V = 1 − R(0)/R(∞) → 1 for perfect indistinguishability
D) EXPLANATION
Two identical photons from SPDC enter a 50:50 beamsplitter from opposite sides. When they arrive simultaneously (τ=0), quantum interference causes both photons to always exit the same port — coincidence detection drops to zero. Scanning the delay τ produces the characteristic HOM dip. This is the gold standard test for photon indistinguishability and underpins linear optical quantum computing.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) PUMP (1,2) BBO (1,3) (2,1) DELAY (2,2) BS (2,3) SiPM A (3,1) (3,2) SiPM B (3,3)
Experiment 11 · Founders+
Entanglement Visibility
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
SPDC |Φ⁺⟩ Rz(θ) sweep M M C(θ) = cos²θ V → 1.0
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
PUMP BBO θ sweep HWP SiPM A SiPM B FPGA coinc(θ) → cos²θ
C) EQUATIONS
C(θ) = N_coinc(θ) / N_total (coincidence rate vs angle)
For |Φ⁺⟩: C(θ) = cos²(θ_A − θ_B)
Visibility V = (C_max − C_min) / (C_max + C_min)
V > 1/√2 ≈ 0.707 → entanglement verified
D) EXPLANATION
Entangled photon pairs from SPDC are sent to two analysers. One HWP is swept through angles θ while the other is held fixed. The FPGA records coincidence rates at each angle, producing the sinusoidal curve C(θ) = cos²θ. The visibility V of this curve quantifies the entanglement quality — V > 0.707 proves genuine entanglement, and V close to 1.0 indicates near-maximal entanglement.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) PUMP (1,2) BBO (1,3) (2,1) HWP θ (2,2) (2,3) fixed (3,1) SiPM A (3,2) (3,3) SiPM B
Experiment 12 · Founders+
Delayed Choice
A) QUANTUM CIRCUIT
|ψ⟩ H BS1 DELAYED CHOICE insert BS2? M BS2 in → wave BS2 out → particle
B) BEAM & COMPONENT SCHEMATIC
LASER BS1 path 1 path 2 BS2? switchable mirror SiPM FPGA wave vs particle
C) EQUATIONS
BS2 inserted: P(det) = cos²(φ/2) → wave behaviour (fringes)
BS2 removed: P(det) = ½ per arm → particle behaviour (no fringes)
Decision made AFTER photon passes BS1
Proves: photon has no pre-determined wave/particle nature
D) EXPLANATION
Wheeler's delayed choice experiment: a photon enters BS1 and travels both arms of an interferometer. The decision to insert or remove BS2 is made after the photon has already passed BS1. If BS2 is inserted, interference fringes appear (wave). If BS2 is removed, the photon is detected in one arm (particle). The photon's behaviour is determined by the future measurement choice — proving quantum objects have no intrinsic wave or particle nature until measured.
E) OPTICAL BLOCK SETUP — 3×3 CAVITY
(1,1) LASER (1,2) BS1 (1,3) SiPM (2,1) M (2,2) BS2? (2,3) M (3,1) (3,2) (3,3)
In the Pipeline — Upgrade Module
Quantum Squeezer
Module
A drop-in upgrade add-on for the PhotonQ platform that generates squeezed states of light — reducing quantum noise below the standard shot-noise limit. Squeezed light is a key resource in quantum metrology, gravitational wave detection, and quantum communication, enabling measurements with precision that classically cannot be achieved.
Principle: Optical parametric amplification (OPA) in a nonlinear crystal pumped at twice the signal frequency. Quantum correlations between photon pairs reduce noise in one quadrature below the vacuum level, at the cost of increased noise in the conjugate quadrature
Hardware: PPKTP or BBO nonlinear crystal, pump laser at 405 nm (doubling the 810 nm signal), homodyne detector, phase-locked local oscillator — designed to mount directly onto the PhotonQ optical block
Applications: Sub-shot-noise interferometry for enhanced sensitivity in the Mach–Zehnder experiment, quantum key distribution with continuous-variable protocols, and quantum state tomography demonstrations
PhotonQ synergy: The existing SiPM detectors, FPGA timing, and optical block cavities provide the readout infrastructure — the squeezer module slots in as a new source, enabling existing experiments to operate in the squeezed regime
Sub-SNL
Below shot noise
OPA
Parametric amp
Drop-in
PhotonQ add-on
CV-QKD
Crypto upgrade
In the Pipeline
QuantumTick
Photonic Quantum Clock
A fully functional rubidium laser atomic clock you build yourself — real laser, real atoms, real quantum transitions. The same core physics that powers GPS, internet timestamps, and financial infrastructure, scaled for your bench.
Hardware: 780 nm diode laser tuned to rubidium's D2 quantum transition, rubidium vapor cell, photodetector, signal processing board, precision optics and mounts
Physics: Saturated absorption spectroscopy locks the laser to the quantum transition frequency. Doppler-free signal eliminates thermal broadening, giving a narrow, stable frequency reference
Capabilities: Real laser spectroscopy, quantum-locked frequency standard, GPS-disciplining stretch goal, step-by-step open-source curriculum for educators
Target: Students, educators, physicists, and makers who want to build real quantum sensing hardware — funding campaign coming soon at ~$1,000
780 nm
Rb D2 laser
Rb-87
Vapor cell
~$1K
Target price
$50K+
KS goal
In the Pipeline
QuantumField
Quantum Magnetometer
Quantum magnetometry exploits the extreme sensitivity of atomic spin states to magnetic fields. Using optically pumped rubidium atoms, field changes as small as femtotesla (10⁻¹⁵ T) can be detected — a million times more sensitive than conventional Hall-effect sensors, with no cryogenics required.
Principle: Optical pumping aligns atomic spins; Larmor precession frequency is directly proportional to the local magnetic field — read out by a probe laser with shot-noise-limited precision
Applications: Brain imaging (MEG), geophysical survey, unexploded ordnance detection, fundamental physics, and materials characterisation
PhotonQ synergy: Shares the rubidium vapor cell and 780 nm laser architecture with QuantumTick — significant hardware reuse across the Spin State Labs platform
fT/√Hz
Sensitivity
Room T
No cryogenics
Larmor
Precession readout
Shared
Rb + laser stack
In the Pipeline
QuantumNav
Quantum Compass & Navigation
A GPS-free navigation system built on quantum inertial sensing. Cold-atom matter-wave interferometry measures acceleration and rotation with drift rates orders of magnitude below MEMS gyroscopes — enabling submarine, underground, and deep-space navigation where satellite signals cannot reach.
Principle: Laser-cooled atoms split into quantum superpositions by photon kicks; interference phase encodes inertial forces with quantum-limited precision across acceleration and rotation axes
Applications: Submarine inertial navigation, GPS-denied drone operation, gravitational mapping, seismic monitoring, and autonomous vehicle dead-reckoning
PhotonQ synergy: PhotonQ's precision laser control, SiPM single-photon detection, and FPGA timing form the core measurement infrastructure for atom interferometry readout
GPS-Free
No satellite needed
Atom
Interferometry
6-DOF
Accel + rotation
Concept
Early stage
In the Pipeline
PhotonQ Online
Live Quantum Entropy Stream
Pure quantum entropy, streaming live. When your PhotonQ is online, every photon detection event streams in real time to the web — each bit of randomness born from wave–particle collapse, not algorithms. The interference pattern that emerges is your private cloud source of entropy, one photon at a time.
Live feed: PhotonQ connects over Wi-Fi and streams detection events directly to live.spinstatelabs.ca/photonq — the interference pattern builds in your browser as each photon lands
Entropy rate: ~737 Kbps raw stream from SiPM photon arrival timing — NIST SP 800-90B compliant, hardware-verified randomness with Shannon entropy of 7.99 bits/byte
Observer effect live: Toggle the observer and watch the double-slit interference pattern collapse from fringes to two bands in real time, streamed directly from hardware
API access: WebSocket and REST endpoints expose the live entropy stream for integration into cryptographic applications, key generation, and security infrastructure
737 Kbps
Entropy rate
7.99
Bits/byte entropy
NIST
SP 800-90B
WS + REST
API access