Brightlight Photonics is replacing tabletop laser systems with chip-scale titanium:sapphire lasers—bringing lab-grade performance to quantum technologies, diagnostics, and advanced manufacturing in a package that’s 100x smaller and cheaper.

 
 

 

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Joshua Yang

Joshua Yang is the CEO and co‑founder of Brightlight Photonics. Yang earned dual B.S. degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University, where he led the development of integrated Ti:Sapphire photonics. His leadership drives the company’s mission to advance chip-scale laser technology for quantum, biomedical, and industrial applications.

 

TECHNOLOGY

 

Critical Need
Many of today’s most promising technologies, including quantum computing, biomedical imaging, and advanced sensing, rely on high-performance lasers. But today’s systems are bulky, fragile, and cost-prohibitive—often confined to research labs and inaccessible for real‑world deployment. A compact, robust, and affordable laser solution is essential to unlock the full potential of these transformative technologies at scale.

Technology Vision
Brightlight Photonics combines the performance of expensive laboratory-grade lasers with the footprint of tiny mass-produced chips. Using a CMOS-compatible, wafer-scale process, Brightlight patterns microscale waveguides into doped sapphire, enabling ultrafast, broad-spectrum lasers in a package significantly smaller and cheaper than traditional systems. This breakthrough platform brings best-in-class performance to quantum computers, optical clocks, advanced diagnostics, and more.

Potential for Impact
Brightlight’s chip-scale laser platform has the potential to reshape multiple industries. In quantum tech, it enables compact atomic clocks, deployable quantum sensors, and scalable quantum computers. In medicine, it supports non-invasive diagnostics through ultrafast imaging. In manufacturing and metrology, it powers the next generation of precision tools. By replacing bulky lasers with affordable, scalable chip-based systems, Brightlight unlocks breakthroughs once trapped in the lab.

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