The quantum sensor’s extreme sensitivity makes it possible to pinpoint location with high accuracy.
Quantum sensors promise precision far beyond anything possible using classical technology. Australian start-up Q-CTRL has put the devices to work in a GPS backup that’s 50 times better than the current state-of-the-art.
While quantum computing tends to garner the most headlines, there are a host of promising applications for technology that can harness the unusual effects of quantum mechanics in areas like sensing and communication. And a big weakness for quantum computers is actually a major benefit for quantum sensors. These systems’ sensitivity to the environment is a major source of error in quantum processors, but it also means quantum sensors can detect the most minute of changes in magnetic, electrical, and even gravitational fields.
Q-CTRL exploited these capabilities to create a device that tracks tiny changes in Earth’s magnetic field to determine its position. They designed the technology to act as a backup for GPS, which can lose signal or be deliberately jammed. In field tests, the company showed it had a tracking error 50 times lower than an inertial navigation system, the industry-standard GPS backup technology.
“We’re thrilled to be the global pioneer in taking quantum sensing from research to the field, being the first to enable real capabilities that have previously been little more than a dream,” Q-CTRL CEO and founder Michael J. Biercuk said in a press release.
GPS jamming is a growing problem, and although most commercial aircraft have an inertial navigation system as a backup, their reliability leaves plenty to be desired. These devices use motion sensors to track a vehicle from a known starting point, but errors quickly creep in and can lead to significant positioning drift within just minutes.
Q-CTRL’s system takes an entirely different approach. A quantum magnetometer made from trapped ions detects tiny variations in the Earth’s magnetic field due to changes in the structure of the surface below the aircraft. The device then compares these fluctuations to a map of the Earth’s magnetic field to determine the vehicle’s location.
The quantum sensor’s extreme sensitivity makes it possible to pinpoint location with high accuracy, but it also means it’s highly susceptible to interference from electromagnetic radiation. To get around this, Q-CTRL combined their hardware with specialized machine learning software that recognizes and removes magnetic noise from the signal.
To test the system, the company attached it to a small aircraft and carried out a series of 300-mile flights. The device pinpointed the plane’s position to within a few hundred yards throughout the flight, in contrast to an inertial navigation system that very quickly strayed several miles off the true position and got steadily worse thereafter.
The system also outperformed a range of other GPS backups, including Doppler radar and Doppler velocity lidar by a factor of 10. And unlike those approaches, the quantum navigation tech doesn’t emit any detectable signal, which could make it useful in military applications.
One limitation is that Q-CTRL’s device must compare its readings to detailed magnetic field maps, which may not always be available, Mia Jukić at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research told New Scientist. The approach always requires prominent magnetic features to act as landmarks, she added, or the navigation accuracy will suffer.
Nonetheless, the technology has caught the eye of major players in defense and aerospace. Q-CTRL is working on quantum navigation systems with the Australian Department of Defense, the US Department of Defense, the UK Royal Navy, as well as Airbus.
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