By Jen Waters

Professor Sakkie Pretorius, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor Dan Johnson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) pictured with the Redback Systems team.

Quantum technologies are the bold new frontier in technological advancement, with the potential to address some of humanity’s most vexing challenges. With nations vying for leadership in this emerging global super-industry that the CSIRO estimates will be worth $86 billion by 2040, it offers a vast opportunity for Australia to enhance export diversity and create valuable new markets.

Leveraging the world-class research and development capabilities in our tertiary sector is key to unlocking this potential, and a fundamental element in Australia’s National Quantum Strategy. Leading the charge in developing quantum-enabling technologies is Redback Systems, a pioneering startup spun out of Macquarie University.

“The technology we have commercialised is a highly specialised device called an optical spectrometer, specifically an echelle spectrometer, which is used to characterise light,” explains Redback Systems Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Matt van Breugel.

“Unlike other spectroscopy technologies currently in use, which zoom in on one small part of the optical spectrum in very high detail, it allows users to measure the entire optical spectrum simultaneously. This is an incredibly powerful tool for quantum technology developers, particularly those using light to develop quantum light sources. Our spectrometers are also ultra-compact, affordable, and are supplied to our customers ready to use out of the box so they deliver high-fidelity data from day one.”

Redback Systems’ technologies bring advanced spectroscopic techniques developed for high-precision spectroscopy in astronomy to the other end of the scale, characterising tiny structures displaying quantum behaviours. The technology found its genesis in a serendipitous encounter at the coffee machine in Macquarie’s physics building, when a team from the Quantum Materials and Applications Group were discussing a pain point in their experiment.

“An astronomy researcher, Dr Christian Schwabb, standing behind us said he’d built a particular type of spectrometer intended for exoplanet detection that might be helpful,” Dr van Breugel recalls.

“We brought one built by Founder Dr Tobias Feger into our quantum technologies lab, and it was a game-changer for us. It brought a whole new set of capabilities that had never been utilised in that context before, and we saw an opportunity to develop it for the quantum technologies sector.”

Undertaking research translation with a grant from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, in which Macquarie is a collaborating institution, and fast-tracking innovation through the MQ Incubator and CSIRO ON accelerator programs, Redback Systems launched in 2019 with its first prototype. It began selling its RS40k spectrometer and Redsolve control software into the market in 2021 and added the RS10k model – the world’s smallest echelle spectrometer – to its product portfolio in 2023, with plans to extend its product range in the future.

A global business from its inception, Redback Systems is one of but a handful of companies working in this space internationally, and the only one in Australia. Its spectrometers are now aiding cutting-edge quantum technology developers around the world, French quantum computing trailblazers Quandela among them.

With the six co-founders coming together at Macquarie, and its labs and end-users the technology’s proving ground, the University has played a central role in Redback Systems’ commercialisation journey. In October this year, the two signed an agreement formalising Macquarie University’s equity partnership in Redback Systems. According to Macquarie University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise) Professor Dan Johnson, the partnership is a crucial step in translating exceptional research for commercial success.

“Macquarie is committed not only to research excellence, but to ensuring pathways for our research innovation and IP to contribute meaningfully to advancing our economy and society, both in Australia and globally,” Professor Johnson says.

“We are proud to formalise our partnership with Redback Systems and walk alongside the team as they support Australia to take its place in the world’s quantum technology future.”

Dr Kathryn Sunn, Director of Commercialisation at Macquarie, said that Redback Systems is the latest in a series of high-potential research translation startups the University has invested in.

“At Macquarie, we have long worked to support our staff and students to take their ideas to the next level and commercialise their research so that it has tangible value. Redback Systems is a great example of how universities can support this process and offer new pathways for impact, and we’re excited to see where this partnership will take us.”

With Redback Systems identified by CSIRO as a high-potential player in helping Australia realise its quantum industry ambitions, the team is firmly focused on pushing the boundaries of what its technologies could enable.

“We’re exploring pushing the wavelength range into new ranges of light to extend the capabilities and possibilities of our technologies, and with it, the pace and scale at which our partners can innovate,” Dr van Breugel explains.

“We’re delighted to have Macquarie University continue along on this journey with us.”