Optical Instruments
Custom optical systems designed and built for extreme environments — from space-rated telescopes to ground-based metrology instruments. We engineer end-to-end, from concept through characterization and delivery.
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You imagine what's next.
We help you engineer it.
Precision optical systems, metrology, and multi-physics simulation for NASA JPL, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and the Giant Magellan Telescope.
On schedule. On spec.
No RFP required 30-minute call Engineers, not salespeople
Trusted by leaders in aerospace & advanced technology
28 yrs
Engineering for aerospace & advanced tech
200+
Mission-critical programs delivered
15+
ITAR-cleared engineers in San Diego
100%
Employee-owned · ISO 9001 · CMMC L2
Engineering precision at every scale.
From single-element optical instruments to full-system simulation — deep expertise applied to problems that push the limits of physics and manufacturing.
Precision Metrology
Custom measurement solutions that quantify what others cannot — wavefront sensing, surface figure measurement, and dimensional metrology at nanometer-scale tolerances for flight and laboratory applications.
Learn moreSimulation & Analysis
High-fidelity structural, thermal, and optical modeling that predicts on-orbit performance before the first part is machined. We integrate multi-physics simulation into every phase of the engineering process.
Learn moreSolutions by Industry
Aerospace
Precision systems for programs where failure is not an option.
- Space-qualified optical payloads and telescopes
- Flight-heritage mechanism design and qualification testing
- Wavefront error budgeting and performance verification
- ITAR-compliant development from concept to delivery
Advanced Technologies
Enabling the next generation of optical sensing and measurement.
- Semiconductor inspection and lithography optics
- Defense and intelligence imaging systems
- High-energy laser beam quality analysis
- Custom metrology for research and advanced industry
Purpose-built products.
Field-proven performance.
Quartus products are developed from our engineering practice — instruments built to solve real measurement problems that off-the-shelf solutions could not address.
PixelTraq
High-accuracy laser tracker and beam quality analyzer for optical alignment, pointing, and far-field performance characterization.
- Sub-microradian pointing accuracy
- Real-time wavefront and beam quality analysis
- Portable, field-deployable design
OptiQuiver
Non-contact optical vibration measurement system for structural dynamics characterization in air, vacuum, and cryogenic environments.
- Nanometer-resolution displacement sensing
- Full-field mode shape visualization
- Compatible with vacuum and thermal test environments
How we work.
Every engagement starts with listening. We don't propose solutions before we understand the problem.
Problem Definition
A focused 30-minute conversation about goals, constraints, schedule, and the physics of the problem. Engineers talking to engineers — no templates, no sales scripts.
Technical Trade Study
Modeling, risk assessment, and trade-space analysis from our principal engineers. You see exactly how we'll solve the problem — and what it will cost — before any work begins.
Engineering Delivery
Design, build, test, deliver — with transparent milestone tracking and engineering judgment at every step. Your program's success is the only deliverable.
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No NDA needed for the first call · Response within 24 hours
Results we've engineered.
Selected programs where the engineering wasn't theoretical — flight-critical, defense, and commercial space hardware that performed the first time it had to. Every number below comes from a delivered system.
Mirror Figure Verification for a Next-Generation Space Observatory
40%
reduction in wavefront measurement cycle time versus prior ground-test approach
Read case studyThermal-Optical Performance Modeling for a High-Energy Laser System
3×
faster design iteration through integrated opto-structural multi-physics simulation
Read case studyForce-Limited Vibration Fixture for a Spaceflight Payload Qualification
60%
reduction in over-test risk — protected $4M payload from notch-induced damage during qualification
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Trusted by NASA JPL · Northrop Grumman · L3Harris · Honeywell
Your program can't afford the wrong partner.
Quartus brings the technical depth, the flight heritage, and the engineering judgment that mission-critical aerospace programs require. From first principles through final delivery.
Talk With An EngineerResponse within 24 hours · No RFP required · Engineers, not salespeople