TOPTICLOCK Team Honored at FiO 2026
Gräfelfing, Germany / Rochester, NY, USA | October 20, 2026
The TOPTICLOCK Team received the 2026 Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award during the awards ceremony at Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science (FiO LS) in Rochester, New York. Stephan Ritter and Axel Friedenauer accepted the award from Optica President Gisele Bennett on behalf of the team, following the award announcement earlier this year.
The award recognizes the collaboration between TOPTICA Photonics SE and Germany’s national metrology institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), in developing a commercial single-ion optical clock. TOPTICLOCK combines ultra-low-noise photonics and quantum technology to deliver exceptional accuracy in an industrial form factor.
Recognition for the people behind the precision
Turning an optical quantum clock into a commercial system requires expertise across physics, laser technology, mechanical and electrical engineering, control systems, and software. Building on the joint “opticlock” research project, TOPTICA’s engineers and scientists worked with PTB optical clock expert and scientific advisor Dr. Nils Huntemann to translate research know-how into a practical optical frequency standard.
Celebrating the optics community
TOPTICA congratulates all fellow FiO 2026 honorees, including Honorary Members Duncan T. Moore and Margaret M. Murnane, Tommaso Calarco receiving the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award, and Tony F. Heinz, recipient of Optica’s highest award, the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize. The company also congratulates the other award and medal recipients and the 2026 Fellows recognized at the conference for their contributions to optics and photonics.
The complete list of honorees is available on Optica’s FiO 2026 honoree page.
Established in 1989 and named in honor of Paul F. Forman in 2007, the Team Engineering Excellence Award recognizes outstanding team technical achievements in optical engineering. It is TOPTICLOCK’s second major recognition this year, following the 2026 SPIE Prism Award in the Quantum Tech category.
About TOPTICLOCK
TOPTICLOCK integrates a single-ion optical quantum clock into two transportable industrial 19-inch racks. Learn more about TOPTICLOCK: www.toptica.com/TOPTICLOCK
Image Gallery
Optica President Gisele Bennett presents the award to Stephan Ritter and Axel Friedenauer on behalf of the TOPTICLOCK Team. Photo: Laurence L. Levin/Optica
Stephan Ritter and Axel Friedenauer on behalf of the TOPTICLOCK Team. Photo: Laurence L. Levin/Optica
Established in 1989 and named in honor of Paul F. Forman in 2007, the Team Engineering Excellence Award recognizes outstanding team technical achievements in optical engineering.
TOPTICA congratulates all fellow FiO 2026 honorees, including Honorary Members Duncan T. Moore and Margaret M. Murnane, Tommaso Calarco receiving the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award, and Tony F. Heinz, recipient of Optica’s highest award, the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize. Photo: Laurence L. Levin/Optica
TOPTICLOCK integrates a single-ion optical quantum clock into two transportable industrial 19-inch racks. It is TOPTICLOCK’s second major recognition this year, following the 2026 SPIE Prism Award in the Quantum Tech category.
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