About Infleqtion

Dr. Joseph Buck is Senior Vice President of Quantum Computing Systems at Infleqtion, where he leads the development and commercialization of the company’s neutral atom quantum computing platform. He brings more than two decades of experience advancing quantum technologies, optical systems, and defense innovation. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Dr. Buck was a Senior Fellow at Lockheed Martin, where he led quantum technology programs spanning quantum computing, communications, sensing, and remote sensing while driving strategic technology development and commercialization initiatives. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions at Fieldcraft Scientific, Boulder Nonlinear Systems, The Aerospace Corporation, and Lockheed Martin, pioneering breakthroughs in optical sensing, imaging, and advanced photonic systems. Dr. Buck earned a Ph.D. in Physics, specializing in Quantum Optics, from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from Penn State University.

Dr. Caitlin Carnahan is Vice President of Quantum Software at Infleqtion, where she leads the development and deployment of quantum and quantum-inspired software solutions for government and commercial applications. She oversees multidisciplinary engineering teams advancing quantum technologies from early-stage research through operational deployment. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Dr. Carnahan was a Principal Scientist at Physical Sciences Inc., serving as Principal Investigator and Program Manager for multiple DARPA- and Department of Homeland Security-funded research programs. Earlier in her career, she was a faculty member in the Computer Science department at Florida State University, teaching courses in programming languages and computer architecture. Dr. Carnahan holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in Computer Science, and bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Physics from Florida State University, bringing expertise that bridges quantum science, software engineering, and applied research.

Dr. William Clark is Vice President of Quantum Development and Business Development at Infleqtion, where he leads the strategy, development, and commercialization of quantum technologies for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets. He drives technology roadmaps, strategic partnerships, and customer engagement to accelerate the transition of quantum sensing, timing, networking, and computing from research into operational capabilities. Previously, Dr. Clark was a Senior Engineering Fellow at General Dynamics Mission Systems, where he founded the company’s Quantum Laboratory and Quantum Center of Excellence. He also served as Chair of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium’s Technical Advisory Committee for Quantum Computing, Communications, Security, and Sensing. Dr. Clark earned a Ph.D. in Theoretical Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Chris Cook leads Government Affairs at Infleqtion, advancing the company’s public-sector growth strategy across the U.S. government and allied nations to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies and expand market opportunities. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning national security, defense policy, emerging technology, federal acquisition, and public-sector strategy. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Cook led Government Affairs at Saab, Inc. and served as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, where he directed more than $87 billion in annual appropriations and over $10 billion in acquisition programs. Earlier in his career, he held national security and budget policy roles at the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. Cook also serves as a U.S. Navy Reserve officer, bringing firsthand operational insight into defense modernization and emerging technology adoption. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Jacksonville State University, a Master of Arts from the U.S. Naval War College, and Joint Professional Military Education certifications from the National Defense University and the U.S. Air Command and Staff College.

Dr. Fred Chong is Chief Scientist for Quantum Software at Infleqtion and the Seymour Goodman Distinguished Service Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago. An internationally recognized leader in quantum computing, he has pioneered research in quantum architectures for more than two decades and has led over $48 million in funded research advancing practical quantum computing. In 2020, he co-founded Super.tech, the quantum software company that became the foundation of Infleqtion’s quantum software business following its acquisition in 2022. Dr. Chong previously served on the National Quantum Advisory Committee, advising the President on the National Quantum Initiative, and led the NSF EPiQC Expedition in Computing. He is a Fellow of both the ACM and IEEE, a recipient of numerous research and teaching awards, and earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dave Kresse is Vice President of Commercial Solutions at Infleqtion, where he leads the commercialization and market expansion of the company’s quantum technologies for enterprise and government customers. He brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience building and scaling high-growth technology businesses across cloud computing, enterprise infrastructure, and software. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Kresse held senior leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Nutanix, Nimble Storage, and NetApp, and served as CEO of several successful technology companies. Throughout his career, he has specialized in product strategy, go-to-market execution, and business transformation for innovative technologies. Kresse earned a Master of Business Administration with distinction from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Stanford University.

Chris O’Brien is Managing Director of Infleqtion Australia, where he leads the company’s strategy, operations, and growth across Australia, advancing the deployment of quantum technologies for defense, national security, and critical industry applications. He brings extensive leadership experience spanning the defense, aerospace, and advanced technology sectors, with expertise in capability development, defense acquisition, and strategic business growth. Prior to joining Infleqtion, O’Brien served as Director of Business Development at L3Harris Technologies and previously held senior positions with Northrop Grumman Australia, Shoal Group, and MBDA Systems. Earlier in his career, he served as an Artillery Officer in the Australian Army, completing two operational deployments to Afghanistan and leading programs in integrated air and missile defense, unmanned systems, and emerging technologies. O’Brien holds master’s degrees in Systems Engineering (Space Systems) and Project Management (Defence Capability) from the University of New South Wales and is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

Dr. Noah Fitch is Vice President of Applied Quantum Sensing at Infleqtion, where he leads the company’s U.S. quantum sensing portfolio spanning inertial and gravity sensing and quantum radio frequency (QRF) technologies. An expert in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, Fitch previously led Infleqtion’s Oqtant quantum matter cloud platform and has served as principal investigator on numerous government-sponsored research programs, including NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Cold Atom Laboratory program aboard the International Space Station. Before joining Infleqtion, he was a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Imperial College London, conducting pioneering research in ultracold molecules and precision measurements to probe fundamental physics. Fitch earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Humboldt State University.

Lisa Pendergast is Vice President of Contracts and Proposals at Infleqtion, where she leads the company’s government research and development proposal strategy, contract management, and customer engagement. Since joining Infleqtion in 2010, she has overseen the pursuit and management of more than $200 million in government-funded research programs, supporting the company’s growth across quantum computing, sensing, and timing technologies. Pendergast began her career as an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Hughes Space & Communications, now Boeing Satellite Systems, where she specialized in spacecraft systems and design engineering. Her technical background enables her to bridge engineering and business strategy, developing innovative solutions to address complex government research challenges. Pendergast earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Max Perez is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, where he leads strategic growth initiatives across the company’s quantum technology portfolio. Since joining Infleqtion in 2012, he has held leadership roles spanning research and development, government business, and international expansion, including establishing the company’s Oxford, UK office and helping significantly grow its government-funded quantum programs. Earlier in his career, Dr. Perez was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he advanced scalable manufacturing techniques for next-generation quantum technologies. He earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, dual bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His work has earned IEEE recognition and resulted in numerous publications and patented innovations.

Brent Schwarz is Senior Vice President of Business Development at Infleqtion, where he leads strategic partnerships, business development, and growth initiatives that accelerate the commercialization of the company’s quantum technologies. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in advanced technologies spanning quantum, autonomous systems, LiDAR, navigation, and semiconductors. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Schwarz served as Vice President of Business Development at Luminar Technologies and held strategic alliance and business operations leadership roles at Uber Advanced Technologies Group. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Tyto LiDAR, which was successfully acquired, and previously held leadership positions at Velodyne LiDAR, Magellan Navigation, and Intel Corporation. Schwarz earned a Master of Finance from Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Troy Smith is General Counsel of Infleqtion, where he leads the company’s global legal strategy across corporate governance, intellectual property, commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, and international operations. Since joining Infleqtion in 2023 as its first Corporate & IP Counsel, he has built and scaled the legal organization, supporting the company’s fundraising, commercialization, and transition to the public markets. Smith oversees Infleqtion’s patent and trademark portfolio, export control and AI governance programs, and complex commercial and strategic partnership agreements, while advising executive leadership and the Board of Directors on corporate and transactional matters. Prior to joining Infleqtion, he was a partner at Freeborn & Peters and held intellectual property leadership roles at Foley & Lardner and Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner. Smith earned his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law after beginning his career as a software engineer.

Dr. Mark Saffman is Chief Scientist for Quantum Information at Infleqtion and the Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. An internationally recognized pioneer in neutral atom quantum computing, he has more than 45 years of experience in atomic physics, quantum optics, and quantum information science. In 2010, his research group achieved the first demonstration of a quantum logic gate and entanglement between two trapped neutral atom qubits, a breakthrough that helped establish the foundation for today’s neutral atom quantum computing systems. Since 2018, he has played a leading role in advancing the commercialization of Infleqtion’s neutral atom quantum computing platform. Dr. Saffman is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and Optica and was awarded the 2025 John Stewart Bell Prize and the 2026 Norman F. Ramsey Prize. He earned his B.S. in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Dr. Evan Salim is Vice President of Engineering Operations at Infleqtion, where he leads engineering, product development, and operational execution across the company’s quantum technology portfolio. Since joining Infleqtion in 2011 after serving as a consultant from its founding, he has played a pivotal role in advancing the commercialization of neutral atom technologies, overseeing programs spanning research, engineering, manufacturing, and product deployment. Dr. Salim has served as principal investigator and program manager for numerous government-funded initiatives, including Infleqtion’s collaboration with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Cold Atom Laboratory aboard the International Space Station and the development of next-generation atomic clocks. A pioneer in compact ultracold atom systems, he is the inventor or co-inventor of several foundational Infleqtion technologies and products. Dr. Salim earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder under the mentorship of Dr. Dana Anderson.

Pritesh Solanki is Vice President of Time & Frequency Solutions at Infleqtion, where he leads multidisciplinary engineering teams developing next-generation quantum-enabled products from concept through commercialization. He brings more than a decade of experience in electrical engineering, systems integration, and product development across the defense, autonomous systems, and advanced sensing industries. Since joining Infleqtion in 2023, Solanki has held successive engineering leadership roles, helping drive the development of scalable quantum technologies. Prior to Infleqtion, he led product engineering and systems integration teams at AEye, advancing LiDAR solutions for automotive, trucking, and industrial applications. Earlier in his career, he held engineering positions at Raytheon Technologies and LitePoint, specializing in radar, RF systems, and automated test platforms. Solanki earned a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Grisha Spektor is Vice President of Integrated Photonics at Infleqtion, where he leads the development of advanced photonic technologies that enable next-generation quantum computing, sensing, and timing systems. He oversees a multidisciplinary engineering team and a multimillion-dollar portfolio focused on translating cutting-edge photonics research into scalable, deployable products. Prior to joining Infleqtion, Dr. Spektor advanced nonlinear photonics at Octave Photonics and was a Schmidt Science Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he pioneered novel atomic-photonic interfaces and integrated photonic frequency comb technologies for quantum applications. Earlier, his research at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology focused on photonics, plasmonics, and metamaterials. Dr. Spektor earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, with research spanning optics, electromagnetics, and advanced photonic systems.