Sylvain KARLEN
5 questions to Sylvain Karlen, Group Leader Quantum Technologies in CSEM’s Business Unit ‘Instrumentation’ and member of the Organizing Committee of EFTF2024 in Neuchâtel
The last edition of the EFTF in Neuchâtel took place 10 years ago, in 2014. What made you and the other presenting partners decide to welcome the Forum again in Switzerland, after a virtual edition and several international editions in recent years?
The EFTF was created in 1987 by the researchers in the field of time and frequency from Neuchâtel and Besançon and was held in turn in the two cities. Since the first editions, the conference has grown substantially and has become a world renown conference which is held every two years jointly with the IFCS, its North American counterpart. After 10 years abroad, time had come for the EFTF to be held again in Neuchâtel, city where the field of time and frequency is strongly present with a large number of actors in both research and industry.
Tell us how CSEM and your Business Unit – dedicated to the development and production of high-precision scientific instrumentation – have evolved in the last 10 years.
The activities of CSEM in the field of time and frequency are built upon a large historical background such as the former Observatory of Neuchâtel and the LSRH, founding laboratory of CSEM. In the last 10 years, CSEM has remained at the forefront in the field with development ranging from miniature and high-performance atomic clocks to stabilized lasers covering applications as diverse as high-end space science, metrology or telecommunication.
Can you highlight features or initiatives introduced by CSEM for EFTF 2024?
CSEM has a large track record of contributions to the EFTF. 2024 will not be an exception and CSEM intends to present its latest developments through several oral and poster contributions. In particular, the first results of an important industrial collaboration will be disclosed to the community.
What is your point of view on current industry trends in atomic clocks?
Today, the developments in industrial high-performance atomic clock are seeing an important transition from radiofrequency-based clocks to optical clocks. In this topic, CSEM remains at the forefront with a large panel of supporting technologies.
How will this conference benefit our company's positioning within the industry and our overall business objectives?
The EFTF has become a world hub for researchers and industries in the Time and Frequency domains. Being present at the EFTF is an obvious choice for CSEM both to promote its activities and foster exchanges with academic and industrial partners.
