IonQ Secures Up to $58 Million DARPA Contract for Optical Atomic Clocks

IonQ has been awarded a $28 million extension to an existing Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) agreement under its It’s About Time program, with an additional $30 million option that has not yet been exercised.

The current award covers manufacturing development and 25 Evergreen-05 optical atomic clocks, while the option would fund another 100 units, bringing the potential contract value to $58 million.

The Evergreen-05 is a compact optical atomic clock designed for applications including radar, secure communications, and precision geolocation.

IonQ says the system delivers 50-femtosecond timing stability at one second and can maintain nanosecond-level holdover for 10 days. Its roughly five-liter form factor is significantly smaller than comparable active hydrogen masers.

DARPA has supported the underlying technology since 2019, initially funding Vector Atomic, which IonQ acquired in October 2025.

IonQ plans to invest $15 million in production space, manufacturing and testing equipment, and support staff to scale production of the clocks for U.S. government customers.

IonQ CEO Niccolo De Masi said DARPA's continued investment validates the company's acquisition of Vector Atomic.

Marty Boyd, Director of IonQ's timekeeping division and Vector Atomic co-founder, said DARPA's support has been critical to developing the technology and scaling production.

Image credits: IonQ