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Quantum sensors are instruments that can be used to observe variations in the environment, such as changes in temperature, radiation, acceleration, time and electric or magnetic fields.
In contrast to classical sensors, quantum sensors make use of quantum phenomena, such as entanglement, to observe these variations.
Quantum sensors are distinguished by their high sensitivity, which makes more accurate measurements, and by their high resolution, which allows measurement of extremely small structures.
It is currently hard to assess the internal workings of an electric car battery and as such hard to estimate charge content and how to improve/recycle them. More accurate measurement of battery health and charging reliability increases the lifespan of batteries. Electric car batteries will be more recyclable since only faulty parts can be replaced which increases the value of batteries.
Atomic clocks onboard GPS satellites drift about 10ns a day which leads to a GPS position error of 300cm. More accurate time measurement could reduce the error to 30 cm. New location-based services can be developed, such as precision agriculture technologies or better guidance of self-driving cars.
Currently used survey techniques rely on the transmission of generated signals such as EM waves into the ground, which offers less precision. Gravity sensors offer a huge leap in the subsurface investigation, which leads to improved efficiency & accuracy. Costs of locating oil and natural gas can be reduced.
Currently, MRI scanners generate 3D models of a brain that doctors use to diagnose, monitor and treat neurological diseases and physical traumas. They are expensive, large, noisy and need the patient to be perfectly still. Quantum-enabled imaging will make smaller, portable systems possible. It will even be possible to create systems that can monitor the magnetic fields from patients’ brains as they go about their daily lives. This would generate more, and more valuable, data for clinicians while easing the stress on patients.
Quantum sensors measure the world around us as accurately as physically possible, reaching far beyond the limits of current tools. Think super-accurate GPS locations, measuring the gravitational waves that are generated when black holes collide or the precise behaviours of electrons when chemical compounds bond together.
Quantum Sensors will start to come to market in some niche medical and defence applications within three to five years. And in a world that is increasingly reliant on sensors and sensing, they have the potential to provide a significant competitive advantage.
