News: Optoelectronics
1 September 2026
Vexlum appoints president of the Americas
Finland-based Vexlum — which was spun off from Tampere University of Technology’s Optoelectronics Research Centre in 2017 and develops and manufactures high-power semiconductor vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) technology systems — has appointed Erik McKee as president of the Americas. Based in Denver, Colorado, he will oversee operations and growth across North and South America, supporting accelerating demand for the company’s laser technology in quantum, semiconductor, space, medical and other advanced industrial and scientific applications.
Picture: Erik Mckee, Vexlum’s president of the Americas.
The appointment underscores Vexlum’s rapid growth in the Americas, where its VXL laser system has emerged as a platform for scaling atom- and ion-based quantum computers, among other applications. By reducing the volume of traditional tabletop and rack-mounted laser platforms by more than 20-fold into a compact 2-liter system, the VXL platform replaces bulky laboratory instrumentation with an integrated laser engine.
Vexlum’s technology has its roots in a partnership between semiconductor experts at Finland’s Tampere University and the quantum research group of Nobel laureate David Wineland at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Colorado. This foundation has established Vexlum’s VECSEL technology as providing the reliability and operational stability required across a range of quantum applications including quantum computing, quantum networking, quantum sensing, and transportable optical clocks.
“His perspective and experience within the laser industry will be a critical addition as we work to best support our customers across a wide range of fields and applications,” comments Vexlum’s CEO & co-founder Jussi-Pekka Penttinen. “Erik’s experience in laser development will also be a valuable resource as we continue to bring our laser platform to new applications and industrial use cases.”
Vexlum says that the versatility of its ‘any-wavelength’ capability allows it to simultaneously service an expansive range of high-growth applications across diverse industries. This includes high-power UV lasers for applications such as semiconductor inspection, as well as specialized yellow guide-star lasers for space awareness. The compact, resilient design of the VXL platform further establishes Vexlum as a vital partner for the next generation of transportable optical clocks and advanced scientific research.
McKee has more than a decade of experience delivering complete laser solutions across the scientific and industrial communities, with expertise spanning the UV through mid-IR wavelength ranges. His work has supported a broad array of research and industrial applications, with a particular focus on the rapidly growing quantum sector, including quantum computing, sensing, networking, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT).
McKee holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics and optics from the University of Central Florida (UCF), where his research focused on laser technology R&D. He went on to work in industrial R&D, advancing solid-state laser architectures, including thin-disk, slab, fiber and rod technologies.
“I am excited to strengthen Vexlum’s presence across the Americas and to work closely with the scientific and industrial communities here to help advance their projects with these next-generation laser solutions,” says McKee.
“Vexlum’s vertical integration and ability to grow and process semiconductor materials in-house is a massive benefit for quality control, rapid prototyping, development, and supply chain and risk management,” he adds. “Pairing that with the team’s laser development and systems integration expertise puts Vexlum in a unique position for rapid growth and innovation to support the market’s growing needs.”
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